Eternal
by connectedfeelings
Summary: [ Reincarnation / AU ] There are bonds that transcend time: a long lasting rivalry, a love so deep that the heart can never forget, friendships that shape you. Team 7 reunite once again, but they don't know it isn't their first meeting. When an epidemic arises in a small village in Northern Japan, the familiarity they feel towards each other begins to make sense.
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

You don't usually see it, the beginning of the end. It can be said that one never truly knows the beginning from the end. Does life start at birth or does it start when death comes knocking at your door? Will we ever truly know? One thing's for sure, after the chaos comes rehabilitation until chaos comes rears it ugly head back and so on. It's a cycle, never-ending.

As of this moment, all she could see was chaos. Bodies littered the ground like leaves in autumn, painted red instead of the russet tones she'd loved seeing beneath her feet as she left her house every mid-October morning. And instead of a nice fall breeze, she felt the intense heat of destruction weave through the village she called home. Bodies began piling on top of each other, lumped together like they were just pieces of garbage to be discarded, as if they were of no value.

Was it true? Do Shinobi only ever bring destruction? She was raised on the principle that Shinobi protect those who cannot protect themselves. Then why did she feel so helpless?

Meteors continued to plummet in high speeds, diving from where they were high above down to her beloved village, as those still breathing scream for aid, anguish and terror evident in the air. Hot fire from explosions erupted all throughout the land, taking with it both the innocent and those with ill-intent. It seemed like no one would be spared.

She felt hands tighten around hers. She looked down, eyes meeting the two people she loved so dearly. "Mama… Papa…"

Tears roll down as her mother slowly reaches up to cup her right cheek, a rueful smile marred by the red stains scattered on her beautiful face. "Sarada," her mother's usual cheery voice was replaced by one filled with tension, her throat tight, as if she was fighting for the words to escape her lips. "Go."

She shook her head. Go? She couldn't leave them there. "No!"

She felt another hand cup her vacant cheek. "Sarada…" her father's voice rang in her ears, softer than usual. His hair didn't cover the left side of his face like she was used to, instead they fell to the sides, leaving his bloodied and wear face visible.

"No!" She insisted. "I don't want to go! I can't…" She sniffed, the tears still falling as her cheeks were being colored red by the blood on her parents' hands. Her injuries ignored, she sat on her knees between their lying bodies. "I refuse to leave you."

As the world around them falls to ruin, a child was between her parents' lain on the ground. Their eyes were somber, and hers continued to let the tears slip. Red between pink and black, as the world turned into a bleary mess of colors brought together in a clutter of life and death.

 _'This… This is it, huh?'_ The mother thought to herself melancholically as she allows herself to shift her sight from her crying daughter to the man she loved, lying beside her. He sensed this and looked back at her. They shared a lingering look, onyx and purple meeting a bright emerald green. Their eyes were all they needed to express what they were feeling. They nodded before turning back to the product of their devotion, of their love.

After all the hardships they both had faced in their lifetime, having her, their daughter, was the greatest gift life could ever give them.

Rocks continued to fall. Fires continued to burn. Lives continued to end. But that moment, they knew that nothing could be done. And so, they did what they could do before their end could reach them.

She sensed a small shift in the mood and looked at her parents as their hands slowly leave her teary and bloodstained cheeks. Her red eyes widened slightly as she tooks in the serene smile on both of their faces. They both reached up a finger and tapped the middle of her forehead.

"We love you."

A sharp intake of breath.

A sob.

Arms enveloping around their necks.

"Mama."

A tight hug.

"Papa."

No matter what…

"I love you, too."

…They will always be connected.

.

.

.

 _Silence_.

* * *

As the silence rolled on, some lives ceased, others went on. Survivors, the few that existed, mourned the loss they had experienced. Life, hard to live and yet so easy to lose. It's a blessing that they were able to survive such a disaster. But was it true? Did Shinobi truly only bring in destruction? The destruction that caused their own demise?

Life went on, yet no one knew the answers to their ponderings. Eventually, the Shinobi that once stood, fought, loved, protected, and destroyed were forgotten by the masses, written off as legend, and now, thought of as an old folk's tale. The energy and power that had once blessed the lands, gone with those that used them, as well as the cause of the ruin. No one had the answers…

But soon they will.

The time is coming.

As the rubble turned to new civilizations, new ways of life, new religion, and new people, somewhere, the power that caused the End of Shinobi was slowly rising back up, feeding on the newfound hate and malice brewing within the earth's new people, waiting for its time to strike.

However, as one waits, the other's plans have gone into effect. It was thought that when life ends, their existence goes with them. But that was far from the truth. People don't cease to exist once they meet their ends. Somehow, they will always be remembered. By a few or by many, it didn't matter. And while death lies in waiting, creation had already begun, placing the pieces needed to counter the demise she was so intent to set. Spring will come and with it, flames fanned with the maelstrom of passion and love.

Life is existence, but existence is not life, and if one or the other were to come to a halt, what remains will always be the bonds forged and shared by humanity. The bonds that remain _eternal_.

* * *

 **Notes:**

Hopefully, that was okay. Quite dramatic, I think, but seeing as the main focus of this story are the Uchihas and Naruto, I'd say it's fitting lmao

I haven't written anything but school essays in years, so I'm quite rusty. But recently, I got back into the SasuSaku fandom because of nostalgia and this behemoth of a story popped up in my head one night. I currently have the whole story outlined, and the prologue is the only thing I've written fully.

This story is going to be mainly SasuSaku, with hints of other pairings. Also, there will be a lot of Team 7 in this story because I love and miss them so much. Thinking about this fic got me very excited to write it all, and also kind of scared to weave through two completely different times cohesively into a story since this is, again, the first time I've written fanfic in a long time and also because this is the first time I've written anything so ambitious, in my opinion, but I look forward to bettering my writing skills.

Reviews are welcome!


	2. (Genesis) Chapter One: Dreams

**Note:**

" talk " - The characters are speaking in Japanese.

 _" talk " -_ The characters are speaking English.

' _talk_ ' - The characters are thinking.

 **EDIT 5/23/19:** Hello, a new chapter, chapter five, will be uploaded late June. Sorry I haven't been updating, but this past month and until May is over, I have and will be swamped with school and cosplay things. I will be adding and editing the chapters that have already been posted until I update with a new one. I've added a few things to this chapter, but no new scenes, nothing too big. Additional scenes will be added in the other chapters in a few weeks, so expect chapters 2 to 4 to be a few thousand words longer!

Follow my _**Tumblr**_ ( **connectedfeelings** ) or my _**Twitter**_ ( **cxtwithclxws** ) for writing updates!

More notes at the end of the chapter.

* * *

 **Eternal**

 **Part One: Genesis**

* * *

 **Chapter One**

 **Dreams**

* * *

Feet pounded on the cobblestone floor. One foot after another, speed picking up as they tried to navigate through the dark, empty halls lit only by the flames of the torches attached to the walls. Suddenly, the pounding came to an abrupt halt as they felt the earth beneath them begin to shake and as they heard the evidence of an explosion hit nearby.

"What was that?" Naruto questioned, alarmed.

Yamato's brows furrowed, eyes set in concentration. "That's Sai's chakra."

"And it's up ahead." She heard herself saying, as if it weren't already obvious to her teammates.

They began to run towards the epicenter of the explosion. The pounding continued. They were so close. She knew he was there. After years, she felt it. His presence. It was becoming more of a reality as the group stopped once again, finally sensing it.

She's momentarily sidetracked, however, seeing Sai at the end of the path, where part of the hideout was blown into a crater. He was staring up at something. Someone.

 _'There he is!'_ Before she could think to stop herself, her anger got the best of her. She began running towards her newest team member while Naruto and Yamato remained standing.

"Sakura!" Yamato's voice rung throughout the remains of the hallways, his hand reaching out.

She ran fast, quickly reaching Sai and roughly grabbing him by his collar. "Alright, enough! Tell us what you're really up to! How many times were you going to betray us before you-"

"Sakura."

Her eyes widened in shock. Her breath hitched. She felt her heart stop as if the sound of his voice commanded it to.

 _'That voice…'_

It was deeper than she remembered. Of course, it was. She hadn't seen him in years. He still spoke in the same way. No greeting, straight to the point. But there was something else there within the nonchalant way he said her name that she couldn't quite name.

She slowly turned her head, her hand loosening the grip she had on Sai's top as reality sank in.

After years of absence, he was actually there, on top of the crater she gathered he created. It was one thing to hear him speak but seeing him in front of her made it too real. His hair was longer, though the familiar way some of it stuck up in the back was still present. His white top was open, closed by the time it reached above his waist by a purple, rope-like belt that allowed him to secure a katana by his back.

Their eyes met. Emerald green found itself hypnotized by the black onyx irises she knew so well. In that brief moment, she searched for something, something that would give her great relief if it was still somewhere within him: his soul.

He was never as emotionless as he appeared to everyone. She and the rest of the team knew deep down, he was someone who felt too much and didn't know how to deal with such an onslaught of emotions. Given what he had to experience firsthand at such a young age and the fact that he had no one dear to give him comfort and genuine care, no one could blame him. She stared straight into his eyes and, right there, hidden from view, she felt that a part of the boy she knew still lingered.

She felt her heart begin to beat again after what felt like forever but could not have lasted more than a second.

"It really is you," her voice tinged with a mixture of softness and surprise.

But despite the familiarity, she could not deny that altogether, he was different. Something darker, more sinister hid the soul she sought for when their eyes had just met. All of it, she saw within those black irises staring back at her for the first time since that fateful night at Konoha's gates…

When she poured her heart out, and it didn't work.

Complicated emotions welled up inside her. She knew there was going to be a change, and yet, the actuality of it still felt surreal to her. He still stood there, eyes penetrating hers with an almost blank stare. This was the man she loved. The man she still loved. This was the man he became.

"Sasuke-kun…"

* * *

Sakura jerked awake, heart pounding in her chest and beads of sweat on her forehead rolling down the side of her face. She placed a hand on her chest, feeling the vibrations of her rapidly beating heart as she willed herself to calm down.

Rays of sunlight filter through the blinds covering her window. Through the small slits where light penetrated it, she could see that sky was a beautiful, bright blue contrasting the darkness inside her room. Light still got in despite the covers.

 _'Another one?'_ She thought to herself, as her heartrate went back to normal and as she lowered her hand to her lap. She'd been having odd dreams as of late, but this one… She felt this one affect her so much more, feeling its aftereffects in her core.

It felt so real.

He felt real.

She sat up, mind reeling. These odd dreams were beginning to be a constant, coming up almost every night as soon as she laid her head on her pillow and closed her eyes to let herself drift into slumber. She'd seen herself placed in a world where nature was vibrant, where technology wasn't as ingrained into society as it. These images usually happened in flashes. One moment, she was saving lives in a war-torn battlefield, then out of nowhere, as if it's a quick scene transition in a movie, she sees a younger version of herself in class surrounded by faces that were vaguely familiar but didn't have much of a lasting impression on her. Well, for the most part.

But one moment that she found her subconscious always going to was one she couldn't understand. She didn't hear voices, but she felt her lips move, words exit her mouth as the soft evening breeze moved her hair in its direction. The moon was full, and she felt the cool night air hit her face as tears refused to stop falling from her eyes. She had no idea why she was crying. She had no idea why it felt so painful. All she did know was that whoever was a few feet away with his back turned toward her was important. Important to her.

 _'I guess that someone was him.'_ She let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding. She never knew just staring at someone straight in the eyes would cause such an effect on her. The way he looked at her was almost painful. She saw the recognition in his eyes, but the way they looked blank, empty, was foreign. And although the way he looked at her was almost lifeless, it was… intense. Too intense to be made up by a figment of her imagination. Yet she knew it had to be.

Tonight's dream was the first she had actually heard people speaking. They were always as silent as they were short. She knew that dreams are fantasies created when the brain is active during sleep, but she didn't think it was possible for you to have the same type of dreams, in the same instances and settings.

Was she reading too many fantasy books? She shook her head, eyes shut in an attempt to clear her head. _'I must be too stressed out.'_ She told herself, blaming her odd internal escapades to the recent extra work she had been doing with her university research team.

Speaking of which…

She glanced at the clock on her bedside table, seeing that it was time to get ready to depart for the airport. Stretching out her arms above her and giving out a sound of satisfaction as she felt her body start to wake, she got out of bed.

Her room was small but enough for a twenty-one-year-old medical student on a budget. She found the one-bedroom apartment near her university and thought its location perfect and the price doable. It was enough for her, seeing as she's only ever in there to sleep, eat, and shower. The rest of her time was spent in the university. Whether it was in the research lab, the library, or in a classroom, most of her days were spent doing everything she could to prove her worth in the medical field.

She always knew medicine was the right fit for her. Ever since she was a child, her heart was always set out on being a doctor. Her parents were wholeheartedly with her on her aspirations in life, seeing as the pay for such a job was great, and that she was so hellbent on achieving her goals. The pay for her education was the only thing standing in her way, which is why she dedicated so much of her high school years working part time and trying to get all the scholarships she could get before graduating. Her hard work paid off and she was granted a full ride to Byer Medical School in Kaup University-Houston.

Sakura turned the TV on as she walked to her bathroom, hearing the voices of the morning news anchors. Staring at herself in the mirror, she touched a strand of her oddly colored, pink hair.

Her parents had no explanation as to why her hair color was the shade it was. Nobody knew why. And although she was at the receiving end of taunts growing up in Japan, she grew to love its uniqueness and stopped dying it to try and hide it.

She turned on the faucet and splashed some warm water on her face.

" _In International News, the outbreak in a small village in Northern Japan has managed to be quarantined_ ," the female news anchor's voice broke her out of her reverie. " _Authorities have managed to acquire the funding needed for top-tier medical specialists such as Tsunade Senju to have whatever is needed in order to study and counter the disease. With more on this, we go to Cameron Michaels in Hokkaido, Japan."_

Staring at her reflection, she gave herself a determined look. Weird dream aside, today was going to be the start of an exciting period in her life. A period in her life which she had no doubts would give her even more experience on the field, as well as knowledge from some of the best minds in medicine. She, as young as she was, was going to spend the summer with the said medical research team in Japan mentioned by the news anchors, helping them figure out how to combat what they thought was a new strain of an old virus infecting the people in a small, isolated village hidden within the Hidaka Mountains in Hokkaido. This would be a great addition to her résumé. It was more than a pleasant surprise when her professor asked her if she were interested in taking part in such a thing, especially since she was just a student. But Professor Villanueva thought highly enough of her to ask, so who was she to say no to such an opportunity? Especially since this was an opportunity to meet the legend that is Tsunade Senju.

It seemed odd, but Sakura felt as though she knew the woman, a sense of nostalgia always hitting her when she saw her photo at the end of the medical textbooks she studied or seeing her face in the news. Perhaps, it just showed how much the woman inspired her.

With one last look in the mirror, she nodded to herself before removing her clothing and finally turning the nozzle of her shower to take in the warm water, washing the remnants of what could remind her of her nighttime imagination. If only it were that easy.

* * *

The air tasted salty. The cold, wet stone, and the unyielding darkness of the cave, ignored as he stared at his brother's glowing form walking toward him, his arm outstretched. His stomach clenched at the unmistakable sight.

Part of him looked as if it were paper being ripped apart as the tears rose up, floating.

"I feel like my consciousness is slowly fading…" Itachi's voice echoed through the damp rocks that surrounded them.

His eyes widen. To have to see him go, again, after everything, it was a painful thought. Then, he'd be all alone… Again.

"The night I left you," Itachi continues as he slowly walks to his younger brother, parts of him floating upwards, as if they were paper, slowly tearing his form apart. He wasn't alive. He was dead. He'd been dead. And he was dead by his own hands. "I did do everything Danzo and Tobi told you."

He knew that. It was why he had done everything he did. Then why was it more painful hearing his brother say it himself? His mind told him to say something. Words and sentences form within him but struggled to escape the confines of his brain.

All at once, he felt sadness, emptiness, pain, anger, love, confusion. He did everything to save him, but was there no other way? He left him alone, fed him lies to keep hatred growing inside of him. He grew up without a family. He should still be furious.

But he was Itachi. No matter what had happened, deep down inside, he knew he still loved him. The moments they had shared when they were younger never left him. He was always there for him. Until he wasn't and in just a moment, he had no one. Just like how it would be after he would leave for the final time.

He was confused. He loved his brother, but he hated what he did.

He loved his brother, and he had good intentions, but it made him turn into who he was now.

But he didn't know who he was. Was the person he had been these past few years truly him or was he just playing the part of who he thought he should be? Was he blinded by the suffering he had to endure? The suffering that would have been avoided if Danzo and Konoha had just embraced his clan?

He felt the rage within him climb up, but with the sight before him and the aftereffects of the truth imparted onto him, shock and sorrow blocked it from showing. His brother did everything for the sake of the village. He chose the village over his own clan. What was it about the village? What made him be able to make such a difficult choice and go through with it?

"I always lied to you and asked you to forgive me." His footsteps became lighter, but he paused for a moment, seemingly taking in the salty, moist air. He was close now. He raised two fingers; his form slowly being taken away. He wasn't supposed to be alive, but he wanted him to stay. "So, this time, I want to impart this truth to you…"

One step closer.

And suddenly the rush of emotions seemed to quiet down before they exploded within him.

Itachi's fingers brushed through his forehead, reaching the back of his head. He pushed him forward, their foreheads meeting. Deep, dark eyes met dull ones, the former's still wide, his mouth slightly open. His older brother's lips tilted upward, giving him a smile, something he hadn't seen in a long time. Although dead, his eyes still conveyed the emotions he wanted to show him.

"I will love you always."

And just like that, he was gone for good. But the revelations he had given to his brother will last forever, plaguing his mind and his choices.

* * *

Sasuke's eyes opened, wide in shock, as he jolted upright. Breathing heavily, he looked around to take in his surroundings. Everything looked in place. His spacious room was just as he left it the night before. Books and paper stacked on his desk. His laptop was open, left as it was before he went to bed. The TV still mounted on the wall in front of his large bed.

 _'What… was that?'_ He thought to himself as he places a hand on his head, brows now furrowed in concern.

Before he could think more of it, he felt a wetness drip from his left eye onto his cheek. He lifted a finger to touch it. It wasn't a normal tear.

He quickly got out of bed, almost running towards the bathroom. Turning the light on, he faced himself in the mirror.

Blood.

It was blood. But that wasn't what caught him off guard.

He expected his dark eyes to stare back at him. Instead he saw red and purple in place where black should have been. The blood tear escaping his left eye where purple now stared back at him. Rings surrounded the eye, as if his pupil were Saturn. The other glowing red, forming what almost looked like a flower. He couldn't inspect it further, though. He closed his eyes for a moment and then opened them. They were gone.

He shook his head. ' _Must have been a trick of the light_.' He thought to himself. It didn't explain why blood was coming out of his eye, though, but he chose to ignore it. He felt fine. Or, as fine as one should be after such an odd dream. He made a clicking sound. It must be the lack of sleep. That had to explain those… fantasies.

For weeks now, whenever he'd gone to sleep, he had been in some place that should feel foreign to him. It ranged from him being as young as five to as old as someone in his early thirties. He was sure it wasn't Tokyo. It seemed too quaint to be the bustling capital city of Japan. But why did it feel so familiar to him.

The dreams have gotten longer as time went on. At first, they were like quick glances through a small slit through a door where he could see himself from the outside looking in, but now he felt himself within the scenes that played in his mind at night.

She wasn't in it that time, though.

She being an unnamed sometimes girl, sometimes woman surely created by the figment of his imagination. Her hair was a bright pink, of all colors, and her eyes a bright emerald green. It should look odd, but it didn't. Strangely, it suited her. He didn't know why she was almost always there. Sasuke was sure he had never met her before, and didn't dreams show the faces of people already known by your mind?

Naruto wasn't in this one either. He, too, was a regular in these dreams. Usually with the said pink haired girl. And when not, it looked like he was yelling at him about something. Almost always yelling or arguing. And not the friendly, irritating banter the two of them share in the real world, but angry, almost pleading sometimes. That was incredibly odd to him.

 _'It was Itachi this time.'_ It had been a while since he had dreamt of his brother, and when he did, it was always the same confusing set of emotion he felt when having to face him. Why was he fading away? What did he do? Did he need to see a psychic? He shook his head once more. No, he needed to stop with this nonsense. It must be the paperwork.

Turning the sink nozzle, he took a handful of water and began washing his face, ridding the evidence of blood that escaped his tear ducts.

He heard his phone ring in the distance. Grabbing a face towel from the rack, he walked as he patted away the wetness that remained on his face. He looked to see the caller ID and rolled his eyes. Tapping answer, he places the phone on his ear.

"Teme!" His loud blonde friend really didn't know what a morning voice was. "You said meet at the airport at ten!"

"Dobe," he replied, tossing the face towel onto his bed. "Yes, I did."

"It's ten thirty!"

He looked at the clock and sighed. "Did you not fix your clocks again? It's eight thirty."

"I-" Sasuke knew his idiot best friend was beginning to realize his mistake. "Damn it!"

With another sigh escaping his lips, Sasuke pinched the bridge of his nose in slight agitation. "I guess that means you won't be late."

"Hey, you wanted me to come with you to pick Itachi up!"

"Do you have to yell this early in the morning?"

"Geez, you sound grouchier today," Naruto replies. "Woke up on the wrong side of the bed?"

"No," he says, quicker than he intended. "And no, I didn't invite you to get Itachi from the airport. I mentioned it, you invited yourself."

It's always been like this, ever since they met when they were children, their mothers' close friends, they'd banter like this. Being childhood friends, he felt as though he'd known Naruto for forever. Even as children, their mothers would comment on how sometimes they'd just blankly stare at each other, sometimes sizing each other up, sometimes with a look that made them seem like two old friends meeting for a drink. An odd comparison, yes.

"Fine," Naruto huffed. "Just get here already. You still haven't told me where we have to be to pick him up."

"Thirty minutes." He hung up. Sometimes, he wondered how their friendship had lasted this long.

With that, he began to get ready to leave.

* * *

Through the glass of the plane window was the art of the sky, the clouds that brought infinite images that could be formed through one's imagination. She stared lovingly at them while listening to the soft yet powerful voice in her ear, the music as well as the sight making her feel wistful, sort of adding to her excitement.

She felt a tap on her shoulder. She took out an earbud and looked at her professor. Her auburn hair, somewhat a mess. Then again, when was it not? Her brown eyes still looking dreary from her nap.

" _I forgot to ask_ ," she says before letting out a yawn, " _did you read through all of the briefings_?"

Sakura gave her a nod. " _Yes, ma'am_." She took out the other earbud and reached for the bag she placed underneath her seat. Placing it on her lap and unzipping it, she grabbed the manila folder she needed and began taking out a few papers.

" _The patients in Maisō have been experiencing severe pneumonia."_ On precaution, she would never have spoken about it in public, but seeing as they were given the luxury of being seated in first class, gifted to them by the research's mysterious benefactor, filled only by fellow medics and researchers. Still, she spoke in whispers. _"They go into septic shock that eventually reach their brains, causing them to have to go into a medically induced coma."_

" _The public have been told that it's some old disease_ ," Doctor Villanueva shook her head. " _But it seems like it's something completely new_."

To this, Sakura tilts her head, brow raised. " _What makes you say that_?"

" _The authorities never say the truth until it's too late, kid_." She leans back on her chair. " _You're a smart woman, I know you were thinking the same. Hell, that's one of the reasons why I suggested you join in_."

Sakura _was_ thinking that. It seemed easy enough to pass off as an old disease, but there was this feeling she had that told her something was amiss. First off, no photos of the patients were released to the public. Usually, it'd be all over the news, but everyone's been closed off from the site. Granted, this could just be another precaution, but journalists usually found some way to get in.

And it definitely wasn't plain pneumonia, or else the patients wouldn't be comatose. Septic shock occured when chemicals that fight infection by triggering inflammatory reactions are released into the bloodstream. So the old disease was infecting them? If it were old, the public would have been notified about what it was by now, and vaccines and treatments could be done, and the comas wouldn't be happening. But it was quiet. Unless this was a jacked-up version of it. It still didn't explain the media silence. Was this a new flu?

She didn't notice that Doctor Villanueva went back to sleep, eyes covered by her sleeping mask. She looked up, eyes closed in concentration. ' _I'll find out soon enough.'_ Staring at the papers on her lap, she picks them up, skimming through them. It didn't hit her until then that there was something about the town's name.

 _Maisō_.

This unsettled her.

* * *

"Yo, Itachi." Naruto waved at the older Uchiha as he walks through the exit doors of the airport.

"Naruto, didn't expect you to be here." He says as he gives him a fist bump. He turns to look at his younger brother. "You know you didn't have to pick me up."

"Hn." Sasuke grunts. "Felt like it."

Itachi let out a small smile. His brother was always acting cool.

"How was the trip?" Naruto asked as he opened the back of the car. "Sasuke said something about funding some medical researchers."

Itachi raised a brow. "Did he?"

Sasuke shrugged.

"Hey, I'm going to be the future prime minister. Can't hide it from me." The whiskered male grinned cheekily as he took Itachi's luggage and puts it in the car.

Itachi lets out an amused sigh. "Let's talk about this in the car, shall we?" He couldn't really hide much from those two. As much as those two liked to deny it, they were basically brothers. He was more than fine with having two little brothers anyway.

As they all walked to their respective doors, Sasuke paused, eyes locked on a certain head of hair. Itachi noticed this and looked towards the same direction.

Pink.

' _It couldn't be…_ '

As she turned slightly, he could see all he needed to see.

* * *

He stared down at the man beneath him, in the middle of the gaping hole he'd created.

He'd already sensed she was coming. After years, to think this would be the way his old team would reunite. It wasn't like there was any other way. The moment he stepped foot out of the place he used to call home, he knew that the next time they'd meet would be on the opposite sides.

And there she was, pink hair flowing behind her as she ran quickly to the man that had woken him up and grabbed him by the collar.

"Alright, enough! Tell us what you're really up to! How many times were you going to betray us before you-"

"Sakura."

He saw her anger slowly dissipate as he called her name. She lets the stranger's collar go as she turned her head towards him, utter surprise expressed on her face.

He hadn't seen those expressive green eyes since that night two years ago.

She was taller, her hair still cut before it reached her shoulders. She had grown, but she was still Sakura. He wondered if his absence changed her, and perhaps it did. There's a drive within her he had noticed just in her eyes. That, and from what he had heard, she was the Hokage's disciple. She must have gotten stronger. But even with that growth, she was still Sakura. Parts of his mind wandered to that moment in the past in front of the gates.

That was when he had cut the string, the bond with her that he had to in order to truly find power and get revenge. He told himself that it was cut, severed. And yet, just the sight of the young woman she had become, brought back memories. Memories of her, of the team, of the village. Something he didn't feel he needed at the moment and going on into the future. But still, his mind wandered to that night when the moon was full, and the tears were plenty. He wondered if she still felt the same as she did back then.

And just by looking into the vivid brightness within her surprised eyes, he knew.

"Sasuke-kun."

* * *

Emerald green eyes.

Light pink hair that looked too natural not to be.

Features that looked all too familiar, that felt like a walk in the forest, content with the company shared.

Before she could turn to see the eyes that she felt burn a hole through her back, Sasuke opened his car door and quickly went inside, closing it hard. He buried his head in his hands, his pupils narrowed and seemed to flee from the expanding whites of his eyes.

It was _her_.

And her name was _Sakura._

* * *

 **Notes:**

And here is chapter one! Don't worry, more will be revealed as we go on, but yes, Sasuke's and Naruto's parents are dead. It will also be explained why Sakura, who's still just a young medical student, was allowed to take part in this research trip. Oh, and don't worry. Team Seven is a major part of this story.

Reviews are welcome!


	3. (Genesis) Chapter Two: Questions

**Note:**

" talk " - The characters are speaking in Japanese.

 _" talk " -_ The characters are speaking English.

' _talk_ ' - The characters are thinking.

More notes at the end of the chapter.

* * *

 **EDIT 6/14/19:**

Hi! Added a few things, like a new little scene, and moved some scenes around!

* * *

 **Eternal**

 **Part One: Genesis**

* * *

 **Chapter Two**

 **Questions**

* * *

The distinctive thumping sound of a helicopter takes over her hearing as she grips onto the railing of the vehicle. The vehicle carefully, as it can, lands on the quickly made landing pad within the valley between Mount Poroshiri and Mount Tottabetsu deep within Hokkaido's Hidaka Mountain Range.

Despite the noise, she admired the lush green environment she had seen from above. Mountains sprawling with tall trees with vibrant green leaves as it took in the summer heat. She'd seen the bright blue waters of the river that went between the peaks that had been formed in the earth long ago. It's sad to think that something terrible was happening deep within such a gorgeous landscape.

As the deafening drill of the helicopter's rotors came to a stop, she removed the headphones given to her upon leaving Tokyo and handed them over to the man with his hand out, wordlessly telling her he was who she's to return it to. Sakura did it with a small smile and thanked the crew before she and other members of the team that had just landed were guided to a pickup truck that would lead them straight to the quarantine zone.

She held onto the bag she was holding as the vehicle carried them over the rough terrain, much different from the smooth roads she had grown accustomed to in the city. It was a quiet ride, no one choosing to speak. Sakura didn't blame them. Now that they've arrived, the importance of the task ahead of them began to settle in. Not that they weren't aware of its importance to begin with, but their surroundings had signaled them that it was time for work.

Sakura's eyes were on a bright yellow sign warning those who passed by. "Quarantine!" it read, in all capital letters.

"Here we are," she heard the driver's croaky voice as the car stopped moving.

Her eyes shifted from the sign to the area in front of them. Numerous white tents and wooden cottages stood behind a quickly made fence, surrounded by people in head to toe sterile gear: sterile gloves, medical gowns, face masks, goggles, hair nets, shoe coverings. There were cottages outside the fence as well, presumably where the researchers and medical teams reside after their shifts.

As she stepped out of the truck, she felt her heart begin to race and a tingle shoot down her spine. The hair on her arms flew up, and a sudden shock hit her system. It was as though someone had tazed her, had held her in place and forced her not to move. Her head began pounding, and her hand quickly held her temple. She couldn't explain the sensation. Was it nerves? No. She knew what nerves felt like. This felt entirely different.

A chill ran through her body as though it was winter. Her clothes suddenly felt inappropriate for the weather. Her vision flickered. After a blink, there was color, then suddenly it was devoid of any shade of light. She felt her throat constrict, a sudden urge to breathe left her feeling lightheaded. Then, there was the stench. It was suffocating, putrid. Like fruit left to rot in a small room where neither windows nor doors were present for it to exit through. It began to consume her senses. Her vision was blacking out. Her ears blocked out any form of noise. Her mouth was desperate for moisture.

" _I'm sorry."_ Someone bumped into her, knocking her out of her trance.

She took a deep breath in as the man spoke his apologies, her lungs begging for oxygen.

 _"Hey, are you okay?"_ She heard him ask as her eyes stayed on the green grass beneath her feet.

Sakura felt herself reply, but her mind was elsewhere. _'What in the world… was that?'_

Slowly bringing her eyes up to the people getting out of their vehicles and to the sight in front of her, her mind began to frantically rationalize the sensation. But no matter what her brain tried to come up with, that moment lingered and will continue to do so because deep down she knew she had no idea.

 _"Nerves settling in, kid?"_ Villanueva walked beside where she was standing. _"I know it's a lot to take in."_

It was.

But now for different reasons.

* * *

The newly arrived crew were told to leave their belongings in their designated cottages and to return ready to get into the tent serving as an anteroom. There, they would put on their sterile gear and are required to meticulously wash their hands and dry them accordingly. As they all finished, a lady with her dark black hair tied up and seen through the hair net she wore appeared and proceeded to tell them the tasks they were given, and which tent their post would be.

Seeing as this was Sakura's first time outside of the university lab to do it, she did so with the eagerness of someone who had something to prove. And she did. She was the youngest one in the whole team, as her stern professor drilled her into knowing prior and during their flight to Japan. She also mentioned just how amazing this opportunity was, repeatedly in fact. And Sakura knew of this wholeheartedly. She wanted to make a good impression, maybe secure a job in the future after graduation.

As they all finished, a lady with her dark black hair tied up and seen through the hair net she wore appeared and proceeded to tell them the tasks they were given, and which tent their post would be.

" _And Doctor Villanueva_?" The woman said. " _Before you head to critical care, Doctor Senju would like to see you and your addition to the team in the briefing tent._ "

Sakura's breath hitched. She would be meeting Doctor Senju this quickly? She knew they were likely to cross paths and she knew she might even have to speak to the legendary medic, but she hadn't been as prepared as she thought she was.

" _Very well_." Doctor Villanueva nodded and motioned for Sakura to follow her to where they were told to go.

In the middle of the area was a tent slightly smaller than the rest. A man stood in front of it, clipboard in hand.

 _'Must be her assistant?'_ Sakura asked herself, trying to qualm her growing nervousness. She made a fist, determined. _'No time for self-doubt here, Sakura!'_

" _Doctor Villanueva_ _and_ Haruno-san?" The man asks, saying the former's name with a thick Japanese accent. Her professor nodded, and he opened the tent to let them in.

Before taking a step, Sakura held her breath, eyes closed, steeling herself for this moment.

And there she was, the living legend herself, Tsunade Senju in the flesh. Her blonde hair tied in a bun, hiding behind a see-through hair net, and purple diamond tattoo on her forehead. She was shorter than Sakura expected, but the aura the woman exuded did make her seem taller than she was. She currently didn't have gloves on, she noticed, likely because she was not in a tent to look after patients. It was required to change gloves every time one had to enter a sterile tent anyway.

But even if that wasn't the case, Sakura would not have put it past the woman to bend the rules. Tsunade Senju has the reputation of being quite short-tempered and blunt, sometimes angering her patients if her patients were as equally as temperamental as she was. There were even rumors of her having a past gambling problem. The tattoo she adorned so proudly in the middle of her forehead was also criticized. However, even with rumors and a reputation as a short fuse, the Senju was a world-renowned medic with an unwavering faith in her craft, aiding in many medical research jobs, having a hand in solving some of the world's most head scratching medical quandaries, and even coming up with cures to numerous illnesses.

Sakura looked up to her, faults and all, and to be standing in front of her, it felt like a privilege. But she knew now was not the time to get all giddy. She had to show what she was capable of.

The older woman's brown eyes meet her green ones, and, for a moment, Sakura seemed to have noticed a flash of recognition before it was replaced with seriousness, and Tsunade's gaze went to consider both her and Doctor Villanueva.

 _'Pfft, get your head out of the clouds, Haruno.'_ She told herself.

" _Doctor Villanueva, thank you for coming all the way here to help,_ " Tsunade finally said, no accent in her voice.

Doctor Villanueva smirked underneath her mask. " _Well, how could I deny a request from the Tsunade Senju herself?_ "

Tsunade let out an amused breath before considering the pinkette beside the American doctor.

She was of average height. Five feet, four inches, Tsunade estimated. And the hair… Not the hair you'd think someone gunning for a job in the medical field would have. But she knew upon seeing it in person that it wasn't chemically changed. _'Interesting…'_ she thought to herself.

The Sarah Villanueva she knew was incredibly proud. Somewhat like herself, the college professor was tough to impress. And yet, this twenty-one-year-old had managed to get into her good graces. It was enough for her to be curious about the young student, but seeing her name printed in black and white when Tsunade first read the e-mail Sarah sent her caused something inside Tsunade to stir. And that hadn't happened in a long while.

" _I was quite surprised to see that you have a student that impressed you enough to bring to something like this_ ," she expressed as she sat down and motioned for them to do the same. " _Don't worry, it's sterile. Our new benefactor was kind enough to provide us with a new, state of the art ventilation system to place in our tents_."

The two sat down on two of the few chairs that surrounded the table in the center of the tent. Doctor Villanueva took her mask and goggles off, but Sakura opted to keep the mask on and removed the goggles alone. She looked around her for the first time since she entered the tent. Behind Tsunade was a computer, projector, and a white screen. Beside them were desks with some papers stacked on top of one another while others were placed carefully and organized.

" _Really? Must be someone with deeper pockets than even you, Doctor Senju._ " Sarah folded her arms. She did enjoy irritating her occupational rival. Just because she agreed to aid in the research didn't mean that she still wasn't a little jealous of Tsunade's status in the field.

Tsunade smiled wryly at this but didn't reply. Instead she looked at Sakura as she placed her elbows on the table, fingers intertwined in front of her. _"You know, when I saw your e-mail requesting a student of yours to take part in this mission, I had imagined someone a little older."_

Sakura gulped. _'She... She didn't know?!'_ She turned her head to her professor, her eyes emulating the shock and sudden fear she felt.

 _"I sent you her credentials. I think she's quite ready for this environment."_ Sarah raised a brow.

 _"Quite?"_ Tsunade repeated in a tone mixing disbelief and curiosity. " _I should have known something was up. When you sent her files, some things were suspiciously missing, including her birth year and her photo. Not to mention, it showed a lack of out of school experience."_

 _"You and I both know you would've asked for it. But what shocks me is that you didn't. Shouldn't you be more thorough in researching the people taking part in this?"_

A challenging smile on her face, Tsunade looked at the pinkette. Sakura felt eyes on her and met them with slight trepidation. Her nerves were surfacing. " _I-_ "

" _Just how much faith do you have in this student of yours, Villanueva_?"

" _Enough to bring her here,_ " Doctor Villanueva replied, arms still folded. _"And you read her files. I know you think so, too. If not, you would've said otherwise, or you know, told her to go packing once you saw her."_

" _Hm_ ," Tsunade tilted her head, her eyes meeting Sakura's. " _Then, you won't mind if I put her to the test then_?"

Sakura took a deep breath in. This was not how she thought this would go. Her professor didn't put in her age or photo? She should've known something was up! She was only twenty-one, it's not normal to be allowed into something like this in that age. Sakura was panicking on the inside. What if she really were to get sent home? It would make sense. Apart from school activities and her volunteer work at the hospital, she had never taken part in anything that was anywhere near the scale of curing a medical emergency of national proportions.

But something else was bugging her. Doctor Villanueva was right. If there was anything missing in someone's files, they would ask for clarification or deny the request immediately. Plus, if she did accept it, wouldn't there be someone else checking the request, as well. She's surprised it went past that and that her professor had gotten a response. And yet, here she was, sitting in front of the person she highly admired and aspired to be like.

As if searching for something, she looked straight back at Tsunade's piercing gaze. A flicker of _something_ she could not quite explained passed through the older woman causing her eyes to narrow.

" _Go right ahead,_ " Doctor Villanueva said with an air of confidence, almost sounding like she was challenging the doctor in front of her.

Confused, Sakura just smiled, not exactly sure on whether to be scared or excited.

* * *

Tsunade stared down at her new apprentice's background information splayed on her desk. Sarah had just given her her complete files before heading to her post.

Haruno Sakura, twenty-one years of age, Asian-American, grew up in Japan and moved to the States when she was in middle school. Great grades with her professors having absolute confidence in her drive and potential. This was something Tsunade already knew, and she didn't need to look into her file to figure that out. Doctor Villanueva bringing a young medical student to such a high profile, high risk research and medical trip such as this spoke volumes of the doctor's faith in the young girl.

No, she was looking for something else. She knew who this girl was, but she couldn't figure out where and when they've met. It was beginning to irk the doctor.

She furrowed her brows, arms crossed, staring intently at the photograph of the girl as she leaned back on her chair. Perhaps she had something in common with someone she knew in the past.

Emerald green eyes stared back at her from the photograph of the young woman in the folder telling her that it was far deeper than that. Tsunade moved her sight from the papers to her phone right next to it. Sighing, she picked it up and began scrolling through her contacts. Pressing call, she placed the phone on her ear, the ringing continuing until she heard his voice. "Hello?"

"I did something on a whim, and I have a feeling it's important."

"That's quite vague of you."

"Excuse me? Look who's talking."

She heard him sigh. "What is it?"

"I think I've found another one."

* * *

She was exhausted.

She didn't expect being under the Tsunade Senju's tutelage would be this taxing. She'd been going back and forth doing all her bidding, and it seemed like Tsunade was enjoying watching her doing as she pleased.

"Sakura, I need sixty copies of these!"

"Sakura, send these to all of the tents!"

"Sakura, I need more sake!"

Sakura heard she was a heavy drinker but drinking on the job was just ridiculous.

Actually, she thought this whole week was ridiculous.

Tsunade often sleeps at her desk, and when Sakura would wake her up, she'd be in a foul mood. And although she was thankful and honored that she had suddenly decided to take her under her wing for the moment, she was incredibly strict.

"Sakura, review this medical chart. You have five minutes, then be back here to explain it in detail."

"Five-?"

"You think people have time when emergencies happen? You're down to four and thirty seconds!"

Granted, with the times Sakura thought she was going to die of exhaustion, she'd gotten mentally stronger within the week alone.

Tsunade's teaching method was... odd to say the least. It was no wonder she never became a professor. Well, she was one in a European university, but that didn't last that long. But to her own surprise, Sakura caught on pretty quickly, matching the rhythm the older woman had set. It did prove to be draining, yes, but she stopped thinking of it as just that. In fact, after her initial shock, Sakura was dead set on proving herself. And while some would say Tsunade's tactics were extreme, Sakura didn't let it bother her for too long. In fact, a strange sense of nostalgia had hit her a few times. That was something she couldn't explain.

At least now, she was on some kind of break.

Her master, so to speak, had sent her to Tokyo to pick up some classified documents from the Senju Medical Research building. They had sent some tests from the patients in Maisō to the headquarters in Tokyo, and the results were only allowed to be transported personally by a someone from the lab or someone working at the research site. Of course, they could have sent them through the internet, but, as Tsunade put it, she wanted to avoid any possibilities of leaks.

Sakura scoffed at this. She knew they had to have a secure private server to send it through, and that this was her way of telling Sakura she deserved a break. She wasn't as subtle as she thought, especially since she told her she could take her time. Underneath that no-bullshit, short-tempered medic, she was a good, compassionate woman.

She was glad to have a few days to herself. Truth be told, there was something about the site that creeped her out. It was strange. Until just recently, Maisō was just a quiet village in the mountains. From what she's heard and researched, nothing bad had happened there in a long time until the outbreak. It was heartbreaking to see so many unconscious bodies on the tent beds and have no answers as to what made them get to that state. Sakura didn't know if it was just her but

Sakura was walking out of the building, sealed files in hand as she checked her phone for the time.

It was an hour before noon, so she figured it'd be a good time to get lunch. But before she could walk off in the direction of the place she had in mind, a luxurious looking black car caught her attention. Men in black suits surrounded the vehicle in stereotypical bodyguard fashion, a single finger on an earpiece and all, as an older man, looking to be in his late fifties, walked out of the car.

Her eyes narrowed. She recognized that man from the news the other night. His graying hair, his cold looking eyes. His arm in a cast from what the news reported as an injury he had sustained in a game of golf with his son. Sakura scoffed. She didn't believe that one bit.

It was the high profile and widely criticized politician Ito Shimura.

 _'What's he doing here?'_ She thought as her eyes followed him and his bodyguards as they entered the very building she had just exited.

* * *

The bright rays of the sun shined above their bodies as they lay on top of a large piece of rock that had broken from their fight a few inches away from each other, staring up at the bright blue sky. He felt lighter, as if a large weight had been lifted from his shoulders as he recalls what had just occurred a few moments ago. After years of chasing after him, trying to get him to realize that what he was doing was wrong, trying to get him to come home, it finally seems like that long, grueling mission has finally come to an end.

He felt blood exit out from where his arm should be. He inwardly chuckled at that. Of course, they'd end up losing something, he just didn't think it would be a limb for a limb. But it was fitting, somehow. He always thought of Sasuke as someone who was a rival and a sibling. Seeing him go down the path that he did was painful, especially with how he grew up. Alone, thoughts always going towards the dark past and questions about how and why it had to happen. When Sasuke left, those questions began popping up into Naruto's head again. But instead of focusing on why it happened, he wanted to figure out how. How to bring him back.

And not just for him. Team Seven was his family. Their family. And now that it's over, they can be each other's family again.

Feeling two familiar chakra signatures close by, he knew exactly who they were. He saw Sakura land in front of their beaten up bodies and can barely see her distraught face at the sight they must be at the moment. Her face changed from a look of worry to one mixed with concentration. With that, she got to work, doing what she can to stop the two from bleeding out.

"Thanks, Sakura," Naruto said, looking up at her with a smile. Sakura had healed him so many times, he'd lost count. But this time, she looked different. She still looked concerned, but this time he wasn't the only one she had to heal.

Then he recalled. Just hours ago, she let her words of love, her pleas, be heard, and was replied with a frightening genjutsu. She didn't deserve that. Most people would have turned and left after that, but here she was, doing her best to make sure they're both going to make it out alive.

And they will. Sakura was an incredibly talented medic.

The other man she was healing looked up at her as well. Naruto didn't have to look to see that he was. He wasn't the only one so determined to bring him home and well again. He kind of wished he could see what he looked like. Naruto had dealt with a lot to get him home and to see the proverbial light, but Sakura did as well.

"Sakura..." He heard Sasuke say, his throat clearly dry. "Never mind me-"

"Stay quiet, now." She interrupted, looking attentively at their injuries. "I need to concentrate."

It was quiet for a beat until, surprisingly, Sasuke broke the silence. "I'm sorry."

Naruto smiled. _'Finally.'_

"You should be." Sakura's voice began shaking as Naruto saw her shoulders begin to tremble. Tears escaped her lids and rolled down her cheeks. "Really... You... Idiot."

When Sakura finally finished healing them, they both sat up, all of them looking at one another. Kakashi joined them after watching them silently from the cliff above. Finally, after what felt like forever, Team Seven was gathered. After years of heart ache, pain, and moments of desperation and fear, his team, his family, was finally back together.

* * *

His eyes slowly opened to the bright rays of the sun entering through his uncovered window. He slowly got up and rubbed his eyes.

"That was weird," Naruto said as he let out a yawn, his words coming off muffled as he covered his mouth.

Staring at the wall in front of him, he began to wonder. He knew Sasuke. He's known him since they were kids. The pink haired girl, her name lost to him, as it had been every time he woke up after having a dream with her in it, he didn't know. And why in the world was Kakashi there?

He knew Kakashi Hatake as his sometimes professor in Tokyo University. He was a big author with books ranging from fiction to political science. He occasionally held classes in TU, and seeing as Naruto had dreamt of becoming prime minister, he decided to listen to this big shot writer's lecture.

The man was usually late, coming up with a bullshit reason every time he came in. And why, even in his dreams, did he have a damned mask on?

As weird as dreams go, this wasn't the weirdest. But he felt surprisingly warm about it. He didn't know why. He didn't know two of those people personally to feel connected like that, but he did. Oddly enough.

Naruto shook his head. ' _Nope. Don't even think about it.'_ He told himself, not wanting to rehash the crazier dreams he'd had recently. He's had weird dreams like this sporadically since he was a child and decided not to think too much of it. He was probably watching too much anime. ' _I mean, pink hair? What was she an anime heroine?_ '

Getting out of bed, he stretched his arms, hearing cracking noises as he did so. He could almost hear his Uncle Jiraiya joke about him getting old and having raggedy old bones.

His light smile turned downwards into a frown. His uncle. It's been a year since he passed. He passed peacefully in his sleep, he was told. But that didn't make any sense to him. He was perfectly healthy. He had no illnesses, if you don't count his perverse mind as an illness. He didn't want to linger on that thought, though. Not right at the start of the morning. He looked at the time on his phone. Well, noon.

Speaking of which, it was a perfect time for him to go and get some ramen. He picked up his phone from the bedside table and dialed his best friend's number.

"Yo, teme!"

* * *

Sakura walked around the streets of Tokyo for a while, having gone the wrong way from her intended destination, deciding on eating in a quaint little cafe and ramen shop hidden within the busy city. She sat by the bar seats situated in front of the window as she watched people come and go. Sipping on her coffee as she waited for her meal to arrive, her mind continued to go back to the politician who entered the Senju building as she was leaving. There was no way Tsunade does business with a man like that, and as she looked into it with a quick Google search, she found out she didn't. So what was he doing there?

Did he want a deal with the Senjus? Sakura almost laughed. Like that would ever happen. She was still curious, though.

Ito Shimura had done a lot of terrible things in recent years, and she's still confused as to why he's still in office. He'd been accused of money laundering, tax evasion, and corruption, but the government still hadn't found any solid evidence for it yet, but she definitely wouldn't be shocked if those accusations were correct.

Sighing, she took another sip of her coffee as the waitress brought her food. Sakura thanked her and looked at her meal with a shake of her head. There was no need to worry about things like that for now. It was none of her business. All she needed to do while she was back in Japan was to focus on getting as much experience as she could and work hard.

She picked up her chopsticks and as she was about to put the food in her mouth, she felt someone bump into her from behind, her food falling onto the table, and she whirled her head back.

"Hey, you-"

Three pairs of eyes look at each other, startled.

* * *

 **Notes:**

Hello! Sorry for the long wait, but life happened and is happening very quickly and I am in a whole lot of stress at the moment with shit in my personal and school life, so this wasn't a big priority, but I've managed to find some time to finally upload this chapter. Hopefully the next update won't take like two months, but we will see.

Anyway, hope y'all enjoyed this. We're still in the setting up stage, and I really can't wait to actually delve deeper into the story but that isn't until like... five chapters in. Hopefully, y'all will be patient with me.

Reviews are welcome, and happy reading!


	4. (Genesis) Chapter Three: Just a Guess

**Note:**

" talk " - The characters are speaking in Japanese.

 _" talk " -_ The characters are speaking English.

' _talk_ ' - The characters are thinking.

More notes at the end of the chapter.

* * *

 **EDIT 6/15/19:** Not many changes this chapter. Felt it was fine as it was, and had nothing to add.

* * *

 **Eternal**

 **Part One: Genesis**

* * *

 **Chapter Three**

 **Just a Guess**

* * *

"I understand that you're quite the philanthropist, Uchiha-san, but are you certain that investing such a great amount of money in one project is a smart decision?"

Sasuke rolled his eyes at the older man's words. This has been going on for almost two hours. Some business associates of the Uchiha Corporation have been expressing their displeasure in his brother's very kind donations to the medical research team currently in Hokkaido, and although some of the points they've made were valid, Sasuke could see right through them all. They were just mad the money wasn't going straight into their pockets.

Itachi linked his fingers together as he placed his elbows on the table, leaning onto it as he meets the man's eyes. "Urihara-san, first of all, this is not an investment, it's a generous donation. Secondly, it isn't a project, it's a medical research mission to help prevent whatever the people of Maisō had been infected with. I say, doing this is for the benefit of the whole country, and I'm only doing my part as a citizen of this nation to help prevent a possible epidemic."

Mr. Urihara crossed his arms over his chest. "And did you not think that other organizations, health organizations, would have been willing to do just that?"

"Nothing's stopping them from doing so. In fact, it's more than welcome that they do. Whatever is going down there is serious."

A loud thump was heard as another man stands up abruptly, slamming his hands on the table. "Uchiha-san, it's an honorable thing you are doing, but you must think of where else that money could go and how that could benefit the business and its associates as a whole."

Sasuke smirked. ' _And there it is.'_

Sighing, Itachi shook his head as he looked to his younger brother who was seated beside him, his arms crossed as he looked around the room with a wry smile. As his brother's eyes met his, Itachi knew what Sasuke was thinking and wanted to say. Relenting, he gave a curt nod.

"With all due respect, Maezawa-san, Urihara-san, it'd be best to honor my brother's wishes."

All eyes were on the younger Uchiha at this moment.

Sasuke stood up from his seat and walked to the end of the table. "Say whatever you want about the CEO's donation, but in the long haul, it will benefit the company as a whole." He stopped to look at Mr. Maezawa, silently urging him to take his seat which he did after a beat. "We may not have announced that we are the new benefactors that's financially aiding the Senju's medical mission, but when it is announced, the Uchiha logo and name will be in the news everywhere, not just Japan. Showing this philanthropic side to the media and the public is great publicity, whether or not the Senju's succeed in their mission."

"However, Uchiha-san, what if the funds donated are needed for the company at the moment?" Mr. Maezawa raises an eyebrow, amused that a young man in his very early twenties thinks he could get one on him.

Sasuke faces the man, an unamused expression gracing his face. "They aren't. You, of all people, would know that we have no financial troubles at the moment." He smirks at the man's change in expression. "Where are you thinking the money should go to, Mr. Maezawa?"

Before Maezawa could retort, anger building up on his face, Itachi stood up. "This meeting is over. I appreciate the concern, however, there is nothing to be concerned of." His eyes traveled to the people in the room, stopping to meet his brother's eyes as he gives him a brief proud smile before turning back to the rest of the people in the room.

* * *

Itachi and Sasuke walked into the former's office, the latter closing the door behind him. Heading straight to the window, Itachi stood overlooking the bustling streets below him.

Sasuke leaned back on the closed door, eyeing his brother, wondering what exactly is going on in his head.

"How are your classes?" Itachi asked, breaking the silence, not removing his gaze from the view outside the window.

Sasuke waited a moment before he spoke. "Fine," he replied. "The usual."

Itachi let out an amused breath. "Always a talkative one, _otouto_."

"Just a little frustrated." Sasuke began walking toward the window, stopping beside the older Uchiha and following his gaze.

"That happens quite a lot in the career field filled with prideful people." He turns to look at him. "I let you in these meetings to observe, not get a rise out of my business partners." Although his words were curt, the amusement in his face showed he felt otherwise.

"You let me speak," Sasuke replied as he shrugged.

Itachi studied his brother. He'd grown up. Twenty-one years old now and studying in Japan's best university for business. Witnessing his growth from his cute little brother to a very capable man who will remain his cute little brother in his eyes. Behind Sasuke's cool demeanor, he knew he's someone with strong emotions, no matter how hard he'd try to hide it.

Turning back to the view outside the window, two brothers stood side by side. The same dark hair, dark eyes, light colored skin, and a similar aloof and mysterious aura that surrounded them.

"I am curious about something, though, _aniki_ ," Sasuke said meeting his brother's eyes through their reflection on the glass. "Philanthropy is not something new when it comes to the company and, certainly, not you, but I have the sneaking suspicion that there's something more to this than just that and future company benefits."

Itachi's lips form a small smile. "Can't hide much from you anymore, _otouto_." He turns and ruffles his hair. He was still slightly taller than his younger brother, and this gesture had begun to annoy him as he grew older.

Sasuke swatted Itachi's hand away from his hair, briefly patting it down afterwards. "Not going to answer the question?"

"Not now."

Sasuke considers his reply for a moment before speaking again. "And with that, I'm assuming you're not going to tell me why you haven't announced that Uchiha Corp. is the secret benefactor to the Hokkaido mission?"

"In time, I will let PR give the announcement. However, that time is not now."

Sasuke's brows furrowed. "And when will that be?"

There was a knock on the door before Itachi's assistant poked her head through it.

"Soon, I think," Itachi replied as his assistant walked in, clipboard in hand, to remind him of an urgent meeting that's to begin in half an hour.

Sasuke watched as Itachi nodded at his assistant's words before facing him again. His hand raised, two fingers met his forehead. "I'll answer your other questions next time, _otouto_."

* * *

As Sasuke walked to the elevator, he began loosening his tie. He was never a fan of the neck constraints; however, it was necessary to wear in the office. Since he was leaving, it was of no use to him.

Sasuke sighed and placed a hand on his forehead. ' _Why does he keep doing that?'_ His brother usually answered questions vaguely, and he was used to it, but this time there was something different. Add to that his forehead poking that he usually does when it's something he can't explain at the moment. Or at least, that's what Sasuke thought it meant.

It was a gesture Itachi began doing after his recovery from a bad ailment he had experienced as a child. Sasuke doesn't remember much of it, but from what he did remember, it gave everyone in the family a scare.

The elevator pinged, and the man walked into the elevator. Staring at his reflection on the shiny metal doors, he looked into his own eyes. He'd been doing that a lot lately. Ever since that day he woke up with blood rolling down from his eye and that brief moment he thought he saw his eyes change color.

He knew his eyes actually changing color was impossible, but he couldn't stop himself from wondering.

Before he could continue thinking about it, his phone began to vibrate in his pocket. Taking the phone out, he sighed at the sight of the caller ID. Raising his other hand to finally untie his necktie, he answered the phone.

"Yo, teme!" His best friend was always a loud one no matter what time of day it was. "Wanna go get some ramen for lunch?"

* * *

"So he _is_ the one funding that whole thing up in Hokkaido!" Naruto said as he put down his chopsticks.

"I didn't think you said it loud enough for China to hear you, dobe." Sasuke slapped his hand on his forehead. "I said no one knows yet, so you better keep your mouth shut."

Naruto huffed. "You act like I'd spill all the country's secrets." He crosses his arms. "You're talking to this country's future prime minister, teme, so you better watch _your_ mouth!"

"God help Japan," his dark-haired friend muttered.

"Heard that!" Naruto pointed his finger at him. "Just wait and see, Uchiha. I'm gonna get there!"

Sasuke just shook his head. He didn't doubt his best friend. Naruto was the most determined person he knew, and once he set his sights on something, he's not one to give up. He'd never admit that to him, though. Their usual back and forth banter was their thing after all, trying to get a rise out of one another makes them more determined to prove the other wrong. It can appear more serious than intended to outsiders, but the two have known each other since they were children and those who are close to them know it wasn't so.

"So," Naruto clasped his hand together emitting a loud clap. "Did Itachi say yes to the hiking trip?"

"I have no idea why you want to go hiking there when there's a village that was just quarantined."

"It's quarantined! They say it's safe. Well, unless it isn't. Is it?" Naruto raised a brow.

Itachi did say the situation was stable, but how long would it stay that way?

"I didn't get to ask him. Kind of preoccupied this morning." Sasuke took a sip from his glass of water.

"Never stopped us before, so it's worth a shot. Why not text him? We don't even need to ask for his permission to go on that hike. I just wanna hang out at your family mountain cottage, that, honestly, is too adwbig to be a cottage."

Sasuke considers it for a moment, looking at his phone on the table. Naruto followed his gaze, and a mischievous smile formed on his lips.

He grabbed the phone from the table with Sasuke being startled out of his quiet contemplation. Naruto quickly began typing in the pass code.

"Dobe, what are you doing?" Sasuke furrowed his brows. "And how the hell did you get my pass code?"

"Months of taking your phone when you weren't looking and putting in whatever," the blonde replied, fingers tapping away at the screen. "And I don't know why you're being so hesitant about just asking. Wouldn't hurt to try."

Sasuke sighed, not in the mood to start a ruckus in the café. "There's something he's not telling me."

Ever since Itachi had returned from his business trip, Sasuke had noticed that his brother was looking more and more into the Hokkaido issue. Sure, it could just be him watching how the money he donated is being put to use or just concern for whatever health issue that could arise, but Sasuke could tell there was something deeper than that. He had seen Itachi looking up information on things like Japanese mythology, feudal Japan, ornithology, and other odd things. New hobbies, perhaps? Still, it was strange.

"That isn't a surprise. You Uchihas are pretty tight-lipped. Itachi more so than you, so what's new?" He continued tapping for a few seconds. "And sent."

"Something just feels off."

Naruto raised a brow. "And you say Itachi's vague."

After rolling his eyes, Sasuke massaged his temple. "Whatever. You know, you could have texted Itachi yourself."

"Yeah, but what fun is that?" His mischievous smile reappeared.

Sasuke glared at him as he took his phone back. "What did you do?"

He shrugged. "Why's your pass code 'Salad'?"

* * *

Itachi listened to the woman on the other line of the call as he paced back and forth on his office floor, his shadow following him on the wall opposite the large windows. He came to a halt in front of his desk and leaned onto it, eyes focused on the floor. "And now you're sure?"

"Something in me makes me think yes," she replied, audibly tired. "It's quite similar to what happened when-"

Itachi knew what she was about to say. "And what would cement your certainty?"

He could feel her glaring even though she wasn't in the room. "Listen, Uchiha, you may be Mr. Big Bucks and donated a bunch of money to my mission, but I don't appreciate that tone." He didn't comment which aggravated her, but she continued. "I'll need a few more days. She comes back from the little errand I had her run two days from now."

"I wouldn't call retrieving classified information a 'little errand,' Tsunade-san," he replied. "And that seems like a long time to just grab something for you."

"And I wouldn't try and correct me," said woman countered. "I'll send you updates." Then, the line went dead.

' _Such a short temper_ ,' Itachi mentally remarked as his phone pinged, displaying that a new message had arrived from his brother. He clicked to view it.

It read,

"Hey, broooo! Naruto, AKA the great future prime minister of Japan, wants to know if we could go hiking at the Hidaka mountains this weekend. Soooooo, can we use the cottage?" Followed by numerous emojis and ending with a "Sincerely, Lord Saucy."

It definitely wasn't Sasuke.

Shaking his head, he chuckled. Naruto was always the more exuberant of the two.

He thought about Naruto's request. Though he wasn't quite sure about letting them go that close to the research site, he thought back to his conversation with Tsunade. And he was going to head to the site himself anyway, so it wouldn't hurt to schedule it earlier than he originally intended.

He looked at his opened laptop for a moment, still on the page he was on before the call, before turning his attention back to his phone and typing a reply. After clicking send, he returned to his desk seat and brought his laptop closer to him, sliding it near the edge of the desk. He went on a search engine and entered the name of the very place he intended to go that weekend.

' _Maisō_ ,' he thought. ' _Quite unusual to name your village 'Burial.'_ "

* * *

"See! All you had to do was ask!" Naruto beamed triumphantly as the two walk towards the exit of the café. "You can thank me later."

"No way in hell that's happening when you gave me that stupid nickname."

Itachi had just sent a reply to the text, basically saying yes, but he will be joining them, and that they will discuss more about it at home. Naruto was a little bummed that he had no mention of his fitting new nickname for the younger Uchiha, though.

"It's perfect for you! You're cocky, flippant-"

"' _Flippant_ ,' big word for you."

"Urgh, _teme_ , you really need to-" Naruto lost his footing due to his abrupt turn to face him and bumped into a chair which he could clearly feel had someone on it.

A head of pink whirled to face them.

"Hey, you-"

Silence.

Confusion and curiosity flashed through their eyes as a sense of familiarity breezed through. Green met black and blue eyes again for what seemed like forever. Recognition flashed in them, and no one spoke.

Naruto felt a variety of emotions barrel through him within a second. Happiness, sorrow, pain, loss, relief, contentment... It was almost maddening, and he didn't know why. He could smell the familiar scent of the outdoors, as if he was out in the woods with the wind on his face.

He could hear the sound of nature. The birds quietly chirping while some were more vocal. The quiet clicking of cicadas drowned out the chirps and the bright blue sky turned to night.

Faces quickly passed by him, faces he thought he should know, but suddenly it stopped, and in front of him were the three people he saw before he opened his eyes that morning.

As quickly as the cacophony of emotions came, they vanished, and he was back in the café with the smell of ramen and coffee wafting within the walls, and two pairs of eyes switching to look at his, then each other's.

"Sorry, uh, for bumping into you." He felt like he knew her name, but just couldn't remember, like every morning when he'd see her face in his dreams only to forget her name when he woke. He looked to Sasuke, and the look he had on was something he couldn't quite place.

* * *

It's her.

It's been a week or so since he saw that familiar head of pink hair in the airport, and it's been the same amount of time since he had another one of those dreams. He kept his face blank, not wanting to show any signs of his inner thoughts.

"Uh, it's... fine," she said, replying to Naruto's apology.

She was dressed in business casual attire. Black skinny pants and a white top with a cardigan hanging on her chair. He didn't think of her as someone in the business field, but perhaps he was wrong. However, he still doubted that was so. He didn't know of any woman who would have such a hair color in the field.

"I wasn't watching where I was going," Naruto said and raised his thumb to Sasuke's direction. "And this one over here was asking for some payback."

Her eyes shifted from Naruto's to his, and again he could see the subtle look of disbelief reflected on the pools of emerald. Did she know him? Or know of him?

No matter how hard he tried to ignore it, he felt at ease in her presence, and he had absolutely no idea why. He'd never met her before. But he had seen her, in his dreams of all places.

Sasuke was never a romantic, so just thinking the sentence made him uncomfortable, but looking back at the woman in front of him, he can't help but wonder what it was about her. He's never been this curious about someone before, let alone someone he hadn't even spoken a word to. He had seen her at night, when his eyes closed for slumber. There were times she wasn't there, but in a sense, he thought of her even when she wasn't.

It was maddening. He didn't like to dwell on these things, let alone on a person he hadn't even formally met yet.

She looked to Naruto again and replied, "You were arguing?"

Naruto was beginning to break out of his previous shock. "Yeah, this emotionally constipated asshole treats me like I'm some sort of dumbass," he said pointing his finger at the aforementioned asshole.

"Tsk," Sasuke rolled his eyes. "'Some sort?'"

The blonde stared at his best friend. "You wanna fight?"

* * *

Sakura stared at the two as they continued their... banter? Argument? She wasn't sure, but she didn't feel like they truly meant their insults. It was weird, but it felt kind of normal seeing this happen. Granted, every friendship is different, and she's had her fair share of rivalry/ friendships, but the one before her took the cake.

She didn't even realize the smile that had graced her lips until she noticed the blonde one look at her. He smiled back. "Glad we're entertaining."

His friend looked at her, piercing onyx eyes penetrating her gaze, giving her goosebumps.

There was something about that man. While his blue eyed friend gave the impression of warmth, he made her feel something so much more raw, more intense.

She stared back at his eyes for a moment, trying to figure out where she had seen them from. That brief moment where silence enveloped them earlier was something more than shock. Something happened. She felt a swirling mess of emotions almost taking over her for what felt like the longest few seconds of her life. Something inside her felt like it was tugging her, trying to escape from within.

Then she realized.

Those onyx eyes from a week ago, the ones that she pictured in her head while asleep. They were the ones that stared blankly back at her, yet sent feelings of sorrow, shock, pain, and relief into her all at once. Those eyes were staring right back at her.

' _Sasuke... kun?'_

And his friend... She broke her gaze away from his and turned to look at the man who continued to argue with him. He was in that dream, too. He was in multiple, just like Sasuke. Was that his name?

"Oh! We must be being rude, bickering in front of you without even introducing ourselves." He grinned sheepishly. "The name's Naruto Uzumaki, future prime minister of-"

"Ignore him, he hasn't even graduated college yet, and he's already going around saying that."

"I'm just building up my popularity!"

"You know the public doesn't vote for prime minister, don't you?"

"Of course, I do! Maybe she'll end up in the House of Representatives, and she'll remember today and say, "Huh, that Naruto came so far and now, he's here, so I'm going to vote for him!'"

"Ah, yes, because what are the odds, right?" Sarcasm rolled off his friend's tongue.

"You-!"

Sakura couldn't keep the laughter from escaping her lips. She brought a hand to her mouth to cover it, letting the laughter break free. "You two... are something else."

Naruto beamed. "Thank you! So you totally forgive the _teme_ over here for making me bump into you earlier, right?"

Her laughter ebbed, but the smile on her face remained. "Yeah, water under the bridge. It was no big deal, anyway."

She looked at the two of them, one looking like the embodiment of light with his bright blonde hair, blue eyes, and orange jacket, the other with dark black hair, onyx eyes and white shirt, top two buttons undone, paired with black pants. As she had inferred with their bantering, they seemed like complete opposites. But the combination felt right, nostalgic.

A phone rang, and the dark haired man took his phone out of his pocket. " _Aniki_? Yeah. Sure. On my way." He hung up and looked to Naruto. "Itachi needs me for something back at the office."

"I thought you were only there this morning to 'observe' that meeting?"

He shrugged. "He called."

"That's weird, but hey, he's kind of always-" Naruto stops, jaw opened as he looked at his phone and saw the time. "Shit! I have that thesis to submit!"

Naruto ran to the door and yelled, "It was nice meeting you!" as he exited the café.

"Nice meeting you, too," Sakura replied with a wave, even though he was already gone.

She felt eyes on her and looked to see that they were 'Sasuke's'.

"It was nice meeting you, as well." She held out her hand, eyes still on his.

He didn't move immediately, but he placed his hand on hers to shake. "Likewise."

And with that, he was out the door, and her mind began reeling. She didn't even ask for his name, but she knew it couldn't be anything else but 'Sasuke.'

' _Sasuke... Naruto...'_

* * *

As Naruto ran outside to the streets, Sasuke walked the opposite direction heading back to the office. Sakura stared out of the window watching them move out of her vision and changed her view to the other people heading to their destinations and peeked a head of white hair crossing the street to the other side of the road, the man's hand holding up a book to his face from what she could see from behind him. Then, she went back to focusing on her food. The man, already on the other side of the road, looked back to her behind the window before he walked away.

* * *

Itachi opened the door to his family manor that night and sees the familiar face of who is basically his second younger brother.

"Hey, Itachi." Naruto smiled, flashed a peace sign, and walked inside.

"Naruto," he greeted. "Did you miss your thesis deadline?"

The man groaned as he continued walking further into the house, Itachi following him. "Did Sasuke tell you? And no, I clicked submit right on time."

"Sasuke didn't have to tell me. I just knew." The older Uchiha chuckled.

Just as he finished his sentence, his younger brother walked down the stairs, towel around his neck as he rubbed his wet hair with one end of it.

"So," Naruto started as he walked towards the kitchen to grab a glass of water. "Hokkaido is still a go, right?"

The brothers walked into the kitchen as Naruto sat down on a bar stool. "Yes, but I have to ask why you wanted to go hiking when a possible epidemic is just a walk away?"

"I don't know," Naruto replied truthfully after a beat of silence. "I just really feel the need to go on a hike there."

If Naruto were to be completely honest, he had no idea why he felt so strongly about going to the Hidaka mountain range to hike. He could go hiking anywhere else, but something in him is pushing himself to that specific hiking area, and usually, he'd follow his guts. Of course, he questioned himself on whether or not he's being insane and just wanting to risk it for some sort of thrill, but he knew himself well enough to know that wasn't it. Maybe it was because the cherry blossoms were about to bloom in the area and the Hidaka ranges were close to some of the most beautiful spots to view its blooming.

Speaking of cherry blossoms...

"Hey, Lord Sauce-"

"Never call me that again."

"Did you catch the name of the girl we met in the café earlier?"

Sasuke didn't say anything, and this made Itachi study him, his silence unusual. Well, it wasn't exactly shocking. Sasuke doesn't say much in general, but it was a simple question, and he found it odd that he was taking longer to answer.

"...Sakura."

Naruto's eyes widen slightly but went back to normal in a snap. "It is?"

Sasuke looked away. "Just a guess."

Naruto tilted his head. "Why? 'Cause of her hair?" This time there was no reply, and Naruto really didn't need one.

The two fell silent as Itachi eyed them suspiciously, arms crossed while he leaned on the wall behind them. ' _Hm...'_

* * *

 **Notes:**

Surprise! A new chapter quicker than I thought I'd post. It's also the longest chapter so far, and pretty dialogue heavy. We see more of Sasuke, Naruto, and Itachi than Sakura in this chapter, but don't worry, we get more of her in the next chapter seeing as we'll be returning to Maisō! We're getting closer to the start of the real story, another chapter and then things really get moving.

I'm also in the process of moving, so I don't know when the next update will be, which is why I decided to just finish this chapter quickly. I hope it wasn't too bad, and hopefully the next update won't take another two months.

Oh! I have a tumblr page by the way, so if you want to ask me anything or just send me an ask, you can go look up my Tumblr URL, _**connectedfeelings**_.

Also, there is a poll on my profile here asking which day of the week is best to update, so if you'd like to answer it, please go ahead!

Lastly, omg! Almost to 100 follows! Thank you, guys!

Reviews are what keep me motivated to write, so they're most definitely welcome!


	5. (Genesis) Chapter Four: Green

**Note:**

" talk " - The characters are speaking in Japanese.

 _" talk " -_ The characters are speaking English.

' _talk_ ' - The characters are thinking.

More notes at the end of the chapter.

* * *

 **EDIT 6/15/19:** added a few things.

* * *

 **Eternal**

 **Part One: Genesis**

* * *

 **Chapter Four**

 **Green**

* * *

Onyx eyes read the information displayed on his phone with concentration. Words such as 'flu,' 'quarantined,' 'research,' and 'unfortunate,' popped up frequently in the articles Sasuke clicked on regarding the Maisō situation. There were a few 'thoughts and prayers' in them, as well, which Sasuke thought was pointless. He wasn't the religious type, but he was never bothered with the phrase. However, that changed just three years ago when his parents had died in a plane crash, and he had to hear people repeat the phrase over and over again when he didn't want thoughts and prayers. He wanted answers. The cause of the crash was never confirmed, so eventually, investigators, the airline, and the government deemed that it was due to human error. That seemed like a cop out answer to him. Shortly after, Itachi had to take the reins of the company, just twenty-four years old and fresh out of university.

His brother was a genius, a prodigy. Finished high school early, hence he went to college early. Sasuke used to feel like he had to run to catch up to him, to make him and his parent's proud. But Itachi sat him down one day. He told him that he didn't have to feel like he had to do or be anything because he didn't want to disappoint anyone or feel less than. He noticed, that although Sasuke had drive and was also very intelligent, that at that time in his life his little brother was wearing himself out trying to be just like him. Sasuke heeded his advice. Although he didn't graduate from high school early just like his brother, he did graduate with a high ranking and had gotten accepted to Japan's best business school.

The car's abrupt stop broke him out of his recollection. A brief look outside the window showed him that they have arrived at their destination. The heliport.

"You were deep in thought," Itachi observed, back on the plush leather of the car seat.

Sasuke didn't say a word as he opened the door, but before he could exit the vehicle, his loudmouthed best friend leaped out of the car before him.

The hot beams hit his sun-kissed skin as the warm spring air enveloped him. As he raised his hands up, stretching a bit while also taking in the heat, he could hear Sasuke's sigh behind him. He was always so grouchy in the mornings. And afternoons. ' _Meh, he's always grouchy.'_

The Uchihas walked out after him, Itachi with his phone in hand as he nodded the younger ones to the direction they were to go. After quickly thanking their driver, their feet began moving.

They had backpacks with them, prepared to spend a weekend within the lush greenery that covered the mountains where they were headed. Sasuke and Itachi's family had owned a cottage within the Hidaka Mountain Ranges for generations. Stories about the Uchiha's humble beginnings living in the rural area were passed down, adding a rags to riches vibe to their image, making some believe that it was all made up. Sasuke wasn't sure about it either. The Uchihas had been wealthy and powerful family in the country for a long time, so the truth about his family history was something he was never sure of. And he wasn't the only Uchiha who felt that way.

There were stories, albeit not very well known stories, that the Uchiha were cursed. The family was prone to having family members with faulty eyesight, some even so bad that they had gone blind. There were also accounts of family members falling deathly ill as children and dying shortly after. Sasuke's parents never thought much of the eye issue, since it was probably just in the family's genes. However, when Itachi fell ill during the period in his childhood, their doubts of the old tales of sickness dwindled. Of course, that didn't last since Itachi had lived. They'd laughed it off, thinking themselves silly. When he thought back at it as Sasuke grew up, he thought the same way, but until recently, he didn't know what he should be certain of anymore.

As they walked through the entrance building into the airspace, the three had talked about their trip, what Naruto wanted to do while he was there, and the rules Itachi had given them regarding the area. Technically, the place they were headed to was not within the quarantined zone, but it was close, so he had to lay some ground rules.

"Damn, Itachi, you're making me feel like I'm eight again," Naruto made a face. "I'm twenty-one now. An adult!"

"Shocking," Sasuke remarked, hands in his pockets.

"I know. My secret to young looking skin?" Naruto placed his hands on the sides of his face. "Long hot baths and ramen."

"Yeah, you don't look a day over infant."

His hands fall back to his sides, eyes narrowed. "Who pissed in your tomato juice this morning?"

"Now, Naruto, Sasuke stopped drinking those when he was twelve. Now, he's more into eating it like an apple." Itachi smiled, eyes crinkled in amusement.

His little brother shot a glare at him while Naruto stuck his tongue out in mild disgust.

The two continued the conversation without the older Uchiha as he studied Sasuke. Though it may seem like nothing was wrong, Itachi knew his brother better than that. Sasuke had something in his mind, something that was distracting him. The way he went silent with his brows set in concentration, his eyes landing on the ground for just a second, pretending to listen as Naruto continued speaking was a big sign to him. Something had happened. He wondered what had his brother so caught up in his thoughts.

Then, he recalled the short but strange conversation the two had the other night about meeting someone in a café.

Sakura, his brother had confidently called her. To his recollection, they didn't actually ask for the girl's name. Naruto also mentioned her hair.

' _A woman presumably named Sakura with Sakura-like hair... Now, that would be too much of a coincidence,'_ Itachi thought.

Sasuke and Naruto stopped walking suddenly, eyes trained on what was ahead of them. Itachi stopped as well, wondering what had made them do so. Naruto looked surprised, which wouldn't have made him question too much. His black shirt was being moved by the wind caused by the numerous helicopters landing and taking off in the area, making it look loose behind him as its front wrinkled close to the front of his chest and stomach. His blond eyebrows shot up, his mouth slightly open. Naruto wasn't one to shy from his emotions and that showed in his reactions, always genuine.

But it was the way his brother looked that made him curious. It was almost like the day he showed up to pick him up from the airport when they got into the car. He had noticed his haste in getting in. It was unusual. Then, when he and Naruto got in, his eyes were shut, his hand on his temple before opening them to the two, a fleeting look of something he couldn't quite explain. That look was present again as he stared ahead of him.

Most would think Sasuke wasn't as emotional as his best friend, but as someone who truly knew him, Itachi knew that he wasn't at all different in that respect with Naruto. He was just better at playing it off. With the knowledge of his brother's inner workings, he was aware that once his little brother was truly in the heat of the moment, he could burst. A passionate one, he was.

And as if on cue, he spotted a head of pink from the corner of his eye speaking to their pilot by the very same helicopter they were to ride on.

' _Well, would you look at that.'_

* * *

" _Male. Mid-thirties. He was one of the first group of people that had gotten infected,_ " Doctor Villanueva said as she handed his file to Tsunade.

With her eyes set in concentration, she read through the individual's medical record. " _No previous serious injuries, health problems, nothing._ "

" _And just a few weeks after heading to a doctor in the city for his yearly check up_."

The two doctors watched as the patient lied in bed, the only sound heard was the mismatched beeping of the heart monitors inside the tent filled with critical care patients as well as their quiet steady breathing. The room was well lit, making the white tent walls and the white fabric separating each patient bed. With their white sterile uniforms, it seemed almost glaringly bright.

" _We all thought severe pneumonia was what caused the septic shock, but I'm starting to think something else is going on._ " Villanueva crossed her arms.

Tsunade arched a brow. " _What makes you so sure?_ "

The other doctor scoffed. " _Oh, come on, Tsunade. You and I, and a number of other healthcare professionals within the vicinity, know the air is fine. We've done tests, examined the area for contamination, but we've come up with nothing._ "

" _And you and I both know better than to rule off that possibility,_ " Tsunade's almost yelled, but kept herself together. After a deep breath, she continued. " _The air feels heavier here, it's hotter than the places surrounding it and hotter than it should be at this time of year. With all the green, there should be a breeze or cooler air, but no._ "

" _Well, then, it's climate change. We've done the tests. There's nothing. We have to look elsewhere._ "

A red haired man peeked his head through the curtain looking a little embarrassed to impose. He raised a finger up before speaking. " _Doctor Villanueva, Doctor Zhang said he needed to speak with you about the old lady?"_

She nodded before looking back at the head researcher whose head was tilted. " _Old lady_?"

Villanueva sighed. " _Yes. We're presuming she's a patient's grandmother. She popped in a few hours ago, lurking around the area. We've told her she shouldn't be here, but she's not listening_."

" _Why wasn't I informed of this_?"

Reading the growing anger on her face, the American professor raised her hands up in defense. " _You were on the phone. Then after that, you were making your rounds."_ She put her hands down as she walked to the exit. _"We can handle it. You have a lot more to worry about, Oh Great Doctor Senju._ "

Tsunade stared at her retreating figure and listened to the sounds of footsteps getting fainter as the two left the tent completely. Her eyes went back to the patient lying in bed. Listening intently to her surroundings to make sure she was the only one awake inside, she slowly lifted her right hand. With her left, she removed the gloves that had fit perfectly onto the skin on her hand.

She approached the patient, right hand lifted, one foot after another. Once again, the only thing she could hear was the beeping of monitors and her own breathing. The curtains stood still, the lights still bright. As she reached the side of the hospital bed, she slowly let her hand down. With a deep breath, her hand stopped, hovering just above the man's chest. And then...

Green.

Green energy emanated from her hand. It was reminiscent of what the moon's reflection looked like on a steady stream: bright, glistening over the water. But with the quiet beauty of the sight, the energy that appeared around her hand held a power that very few knew existed. It would have been felt by anyone else in the room, but its bearer was the only one conscious to feel it, and she felt it more than anyone else could have.

A few moments passed and the green energy disappeared as quickly as it appeared. Tsunade's hand hovered above his chest for a beat before she sighed and placed the glove she removed back on.

She closed her eyes, inhaling deeply before opening them and staring at her hand. This was going to be a even harder than she initially thought.

* * *

"Three other passengers?"

"Yes, miss. We were called a few days ago to prepare for their arrival," the pilot answered, nodding.

Sakura wondered if there were more researchers and doctors that had gotten assigned, but she doubted it. She had only been gone a few days, and she didn't remember Doctor Senju talking about more people joining in, so it wasn't possible for them to be called and arrive on such a short amount of time.

Her questions were going to be answered faster than she thought as she felt eyes staring at the back of her head. Turning around, she came to see the two people she had met two days ago. To say she was shocked would be an understatement. Her feet were placed firmly on the ground, and she made no movements. In just less than a month, she'd been more overwhelmed than she had been in her whole life. She'd like to believe that what was happening would be a coincidence, but how many more coincidences would there be? First, they appeared in her subconscious, invading her dreams. Then, they crossed paths in reality. Now, they were there again, in front of her.

She began to rationalize it all in her head. Maybe they were heading to a different part of the mountain range. After all, the area where she was going was quarantined. And she was sure they weren't medical professionals, nor were they planning to be, recalling from their brief encounter a mention of an office and a confident announcement of being the future prime minister.

She shook herself out of her surprise and took in a breath. _'I shouldn't be overthinking this,'_ she told herself. As she looked at the three figures walking toward her, there was one she didn't recognize, but there was a vague image in her head that resembled him. She knew him from somewhere, that's she figured. But from where?

The three stopped walking as they were finally just a few steps away from her and the pilot.

"Yamamoto-san." The vaguely familiar man greeted the pilot. His head pivoted toward her, hand outstretched for a handshake. "Miss...?"

Sakura placed her hand in his. "Haruno. Sakura Haruno."

His eyes went to the other man with the same shade of hair as his before releasing her hand, a curious smile on his face. "Pleasure to meet you. I'm Itachi Uchiha."

Looking at the two side by side, she could tell they were brothers. The same dark, raven hair, albeit the man she just spoke to had his longer, and the same onyx eyes. But this man's eyes didn't affect her like his brother's did. It was a whole other different experience when they locked eyes, almost as if they weren't strangers at all.

Before she could go back into the forest of questions in her mind, she turned to the two people she was familiar with. "Nice to see you two again." She held out her hand. "Naruto."

Naruto shook her hand, a smile on his face. "You too! Didn't think I'd be seeing you here, of all places."

She smiled back. "You're not the only one." He let go of her hand and offered it to the man beside him. "And... I don't think I caught your name last time."

He stared at her hand for a beat before placing his in hers. "Sasuke."

Her breath hitched as she tried to mask whatever she was feeling from her face. "Nice to meet you. Again, I mean."

Sasuke nodded, and their eyes met. There it was again. Unbeknownst to either of them, they both experienced the same tug, the same overwhelming experience of something they both struggled to rationalize to themselves. This was not the first time their eyes held each other's gaze before. And they were both certain it wouldn't be the last. And whether they wanted to admit it or not, this signaled something neither of them realized was coming so soon.

Sakura's hand fell to her side as Sasuke put his in his pocket. Itachi studied to two. He was almost ashamed he had. That brief gaze almost felt too intimate to view. He was to believe they had just met? There was an underlying current between the two he had never witnessed before.

Naruto noticed it, too. He was noticing the slight differences in Sasuke's demeanor these past few weeks, but it was still something to get used to. Sasuke always had a quiet intensity, something their female, and some male, classmates admired all throughout high school. But what he just saw was something else entirely. And although he was wondering what's making him act the way he has been for weeks, he was excited to egg him on about this later on.

' _Oh, this is going to be fun.'_ Naruto brought his fist to his mouth faked a cough. This caused the two to stare at him, a caught off guard expression on Sakura's face and a glower from Sasuke. A cheeky smile formed on his lips. "Got a girlfriend, saucy?"

"Saucy?" Sakura repeated, curious.

"As I've said, it's best to ignore him." Sasuke closed his eyes in mild frustration, two fingers pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Hey, it's not my fault you two completely ignored everyone here, especially me!" Wrapping an arm around Sakura's shoulder, he whispered loudly, "Hey, hey. I'm your favorite, though, right?"

She let out an amused scoff. "And now, I'm suddenly a mom picking her favorite kid?"

"You'd do that?"

"Of course not!"

"I don't know." He removed his arm from her shoulders. "You sounded pretty confident."

"You see what I have to deal with?"

Sakura folded her arms. "He just runs his mouth, huh?"

"Yeah."

"Hey, I can hear you, y'know!"

* * *

During the entire chopper ride to the mountains, Itachi, from the passenger's seat of the flying vehicle, observed the trio on the seats behind him. Based on their easy, albeit loud due to the helicopters noise and their ears being covered by headphones, conversations of their backgrounds, their childhoods, favorite things, and other things of that nature, it was almost difficult to fathom they were strangers just a few days ago. Sakura spoke openly about her childhood in Kyoto and her move to America during her teen years. Naruto expressed his interest in politics and his knowledge and intelligent remarks on the state of Japan's current political climate seemed to genuinely and pleasantly surprise her. He also told her about his and Sasuke's long lasting friendship, a conversation in which Sasuke was quite active in participating.

Unknowingly, he smiled softly to himself. Experiencing firsthand the duo possibly turning into a trio. Sasuke didn't have many close friends. In fact, Naruto was the only one to get a genuine friendship from him. He had acquaintances at school and didn't push away students in group activities, but they were always at a distance. Lo and behold, a woman with piercing green eyes may finally do the same as the blue ones that were determined to give his brother friendship.

' _Although..._ '

Based on the short interaction he witnessed before they boarded the helicopter, he thought Naruto was spot on in his teasing. There was something. Though short, the moment their eyes met, it seemed like they had shared a quiet conversation shared without a verbal exchange and yet a thousand words may have had been exchanged. Two shades meeting, dark and bright, bright green.

He knew of Sakura based on what Tsunade had shared on the phone. She was a capable and ambitious student. She mentioned that she also knew more than her peers were expected of. In fact, she was almost too good. It was almost as if she were born with the knowledge. Some of the techniques and critical thinking she had displayed impressed even the Senju herself.

"We are beginning to land," the pilot announced. Eyes trained on the sight in front of them, the three at the back stopped all conversation.

Naruto looked to his left where the window was. His mouth was slightly ajar. The view was breathtaking. The serrated mountains began looking taller as they descended, moving them closer to the forest green ground. The vegetation looked healthy. Trees almost looked like they could touch the sky, flowers of a variety of vivid color that would enchant the eyes that would lay upon it. The sky was a soft blue and with it, specks of the fluffy, white clouds covered half of the shining ball of flame. It took his breath away.

He had always loved the outdoors. As a very outgoing man, he enjoyed heading out into the city, enjoying what urban life could offer. But he also held a great admiration of the outdoors. The fresh air, the breathtaking views, and the sense of nostalgia he felt when he was out in nature. It felt more like home than the city could ever be to him. He was born in the city, but something about the peace and adventure the trees and leaves imprinted into his mind made him feel like he belonged. That's why his parents, and later, his uncle always went on trips with him. Camping, fishing, they did it all. It had been a while since he had been out and about in this type of environment.

Not since he lost them.

He pushed the inevitable pang of sadness he would have felt when thinking of their absence to make room for the growing excitement bubbling within him setting his sights on what was in front of him.

"Wow." His voice was soft, almost airy as he felt the vehicle finally land. Quickly, he unbuckled himself, took off his headphones and was the first to exit, leaping out of the vehicle's exit.

This did not go unnoticed by Sakura. "He sure is excited."

Sasuke removed his headphones. "He's the adventurous kind."

"Like you?"

"What makes you say that?" He replied as he began unbuckling.

She did the same, the thing covering her ears removed first. "Honestly? I don't know, exactly. Just a gut feeling."

"Haruno-san," the pilot spoke. "Someone is outside calling for you."

Sakura looked out of the window to see one of the researchers from the site. Carefully, she stepped out of the helicopter. "Yes?"

"Haruno-san, Doctor Senju requires the documents immediately. I was told to fetch you," she said, using a finger to lift up her glasses that were almost slipping from the bridge of her nose.

"Oh, yes, of course." She turned to the other three passengers. "It was nice seeing you guys. And meeting you Uchiha-san."

"Itachi," he corrected her.

She nodded. Giving her thanks to the pilot, she waved off signaling a goodbye and followed the woman to a pick-up truck.

They watched as the truck's engine was turned on and the truck drove away out of view.

"Doctor Senju?" Naruto asked quizzically.

"It would seem that she is working in the quarantined site," Itachi answered.

"For real? Isn't she our age?"

"Which makes it all the more remarkable. Wouldn't you say, Sasuke?" He tilted his head to his brother, brows raised in question.

Sasuke didn't respond, his mind on what she said to him before they got out of the helicopter.

' _A gut feeling...'_

Suddenly, seeing himself surrounded by the luscious green, he wondered when he'd see the little specks of silver deep within her emerald green eyes again. He knew it wouldn't be too long. Like she said, it was a gut feeling.

Naruto studied him, wondering what he was thinking of. But something else had caught his attention.

He breathed in. "The air..."

The Uchihas' attentions went to him.

"It feels... heavier."

* * *

Sakura arrived at the quarantined area and quickly followed sterile procedures before heading into the tent area. Glancing around her, she had noticed a few of the people looking less energetic than before she left. She noticed it in the way they moved, the slower paces they made as they walked from tent to tent.

She began to worry. Had they been infected? No, they couldn't have been. Any sign of infection would've been noticed. Maybe they were worn out.

The man in front of Tsunade's tent stopped her from entering. "She's not in there."

"Where is she, then?"

He was quiet, recalling where he was told she would be. "Critical care."

Nodding, her feet began moving towards the said tent.

Unbeknownst her, a pair of small copper eyes hidden behind a nearby bush followed her movements.

* * *

"You know, I don't know why you guys call this a cabin. It's way too big to be one." Naruto grabbed his backpack from the trunk.

"It's been passed down the family as one, so it stuck," Itachi replied as he walked up the stairs towards the entrance.

"Rich people," he whispered to himself.

Sasuke rolled his eyes and followed Itachi, Naruto behind him.

The wooden home and the brick columns that it was built with was a dark, earthy brown with its columns having colors of brick red and black, giving off the authentic outdoorsy feel with an almost luxurious effect. A stone path lead to the front steps of the home within the forest and shrubs, and flowers surrounded it. It was larger than a normal cabin in the forest. The two story building had a spacious balcony visible from the ground, wooden chairs and a glass table placed within the roofed outdoors. Large windows were placed all throughout the walls, enabling a great amount of natural light to enter the home, illuminating it.

Opening the front door, Itachi stepped inside.

Naruto scanned the room. "Who keeps the place clean?"

"We have someone come by and maintain the place every month."

Tasteful decor and comfortable and beautiful furniture was what filled the room. A glass coffee table in front of the light grey sectional couch between it and the TV. Landscape paintings well placed on the wall. His eyes were trained on what was beyond the window. The blonde walked towards the door that lead to the back patio. Turning the knob, he felt the warm breeze hit his face as he walked to the wooden railing. He placed his hands on it as he viewed the open meadow before him, the forest of trees behind it. The wind breezed through the grass, tilting them to the right as it passed.

"Damn." He thought the view above the trees was beautiful, but what was in front of him left him entirely speechless.

All before him was green of all shades. A gradient from the light grass to the dark leaves of the trees further from the meadow. But suddenly, out of nowhere, it looked like a grainy grey, as if it was a television with no connection. Flashes of destruction, a giant hole into the middle of a gated area, heads sculpted from a cliffside, a red and black cape billowing with the wind.

It felt like his head was about to split open. Clutching onto the sides of his head, he tried to steady himself. His knees buckled. His lungs tightened as he struggled to breathe. More images popped up into his mind. Dark hair flowing with the wind. Giant animals. Paper flying in the air. They all came and went quickly, he couldn't name them all. He gripped a hand tightly onto the railing to steady himself, feeling the pain disappear slowly out of his system.

* * *

There was nothing but a blur of dark colors. He felt cold, exposed. A plea left his lips, asking for help, but all he heard was an infant's cry. Then, he felt something drip onto his chest. He felt smaller, unfit to be in such a state. But that heavy drop of liquid made him anxious, confused, terrified.

"I said this was a father's duty."

 _'What?'_ He thought, hearing the stranger's voice straining to speak.

"Then all the more since I'm his mother," he heard a woman reply, panting in between words.

A loud, grizzly voice roared out, he presumed cursing the people he had just heard speak.

He wanted to yell, scream, but nothing but cries escaped him. His vision unclear, his body writhed trying to escape whatever was tying him down. He felt helpless. He wanted help. He wanted to help. But no matter how hard he tried, nothing happened. All he could do was lie there crying, hearing two poor souls lose their lives.

And although he didn't know who they were, he wanted to break down and let the tears escape.

So he did.

That's all he could do.

* * *

He breathed heavily, eyes narrowed staring hard at the wooden floor. He was back.

' _What... What was that?'_

He slowly straightened his back, his hand held its grasp on the wood. The grainy asphalt no longer clouding his vision. He felt salt in his mouth and realized tears had fallen from his eyes.

Taking a moment to calm himself, he took one last look at the vegetation beyond the wooden railing and turned around, slowly walking back into the walls of the cabin, his back on the vibrant green leaves that began to fall, wondering why he felt so helpless.

* * *

"More dead animals have been appearing around the area."

"That's concerning. This could mean whatever disease we're facing is beginning to affect the animals."

The man sighed. "That means we have to get that old lady off the premises at once. It isn't safe."

"We've been trying, but whenever we even catch a glimpse of her, she's running off, not wanting to hear a word we say."

Sakura listened in on the two nearby doctors' conversation. That didn't sound good. They did not need another person to get infected, especially not the elderly. Her feet continued walking, and the two were no longer withing earshot. She stopped, looking around for the person who was supposed to be in front of the tent. There was no one.

She hesitated for a moment, contemplating on whether to enter and give Tsunade what she asked for immediately, or to wait for the okay to enter. Weighing the pros and cons in her head, she decided on the former. With a tentative hand, she opened the tent's front covering and took a step inside.

Curtains covered each patients section, the only sound that could be heard was the beeping of the monitors within the tent. "Hello?" She called out. "Doctor Senju?"

Gaining confidence, she walked through the middle aisle of the large tent, eyes looking around if she could see someone inside.

She felt a pounding. It was inside of her. Her feet stopped. Her heart rate increased. Her eyes looked around frantically and stopped when it spotted the curtain entrance to the last section of the tent. She slowly began walking towards it. The pounding within her grew stronger with each step, and when she walked through the curtain, it began to steady.

It was a woman. She was comatose, her body lain on the hospital bed and connected to many medical devices to keep her alive. Her eyes purposefully looked her over, and she gasped. A wound. Blood escaped through her skin, a drop of crimson red dropped on the perfectly white sheets. Before Sakura was aware of her actions, she quickly went to the woman's side, hand up and hovered over the presumed injury. She surprised herself. She had no jurisdiction to care for a patient. But she had no time to run and find someone to aid the woman.

Then, she felt heat.

A gasp escaped her soft pink lips, her eyes wide. The wound stopped bleeding. Skin began to renew, and as quickly as it appeared, there was no longer any sign of the gash on the patient's ivory skin. Her hand was still hovering above where the wound used to be.

"My suspicions were correct then," a woman's strong voice broke the silence.

Sakura turned and met Tsunade's stare. It was almost enough of a fright than what she just witnessed herself do.

Her hand was glowing.

It was glowing green.

* * *

 **Notes:**

And in a month's time, I have updated!

Thank you all so much for the reviews. I've loved reading them all.

And yes, I do notice my verb switches, and I'll be proofreading the story as I go along. If you spot anything, don't be scared to let me know. I appreciate it.

I also like reading theories, so I'd like to leave y'all with some questions. Leave a review to tell me what you think the answers are!

 **Q1: What are Tsunade and Itachi up to? What do they know?**

 **Q2: Do you think other Naruto characters will show up and, if so, how?**

 **Q3: I've left clues in this chapter, what do you think they are and what do they mean?**

 **Q4: When tf will Sasuke and Sakura stop eye fucking in public? lmao**

Happy reading! Also, it's almost Sakura's birthday, so happy birthday to the QUEEN!


	6. (Genesis) Interlude I: Shinobi

**Note:**

Hi, y'all! Edited and added a few things (and hints) to previous chapters, so y'all should go check it out. Nothing too major but I did add a few scenes to some chapters.

* * *

 **Interlude I**

* * *

 **SHINOBI**

* * *

The sun shined brightly above the Hidden Leaf Village. Its rays beamed down on the building and on the people getting ready to start their day. Parents were walking their children to school. Some stores were beginning to open. There were pleasant sounds of different birds singing all throughout the area, the sun being its reminder to start the day. Overseeing the village as it started to wake were seven pairs of stone carved eyes perched on the cliff side, the past leaders of the village keeping a watchful eye on the people that were the very reason that some of them honorably gave up their lives for.

The same beams of light that emanated from the celestial body above them entered parts of the Hokage's office through the windows, the current Hokage's back to them as he looked at the four people standing in front of him, his eyes narrowed.

"Sasuke found this." The current Hokage placed a worn out scroll onto his desk.

"There was strange chakra surrounding a small area in the outskirts of the Land of Fire's borders in the Land of Grass," Sasuke replied, eyes emulating the same seriousness. "I followed it into a cave hidden underground and found the scroll." Sasuke points to an area on the map laid out on Naruto's desk.

"We've had scouts surveil the area before. This is new." Shikamaru crossed his arms. "And a cave."

"Were there reports of any earthquakes on or near the area?" Kakashi chimes in, one hand on the desk.

"None." Naruto pinched the bridge of his nose. "What's most disturbing about all of this isn't just what's in the scroll. It's what isn't."

"Think it's another Otsutsuki?"

"Hopefully not. We've dealt with too many of them and would rather not have to resort to thinking about blowing up the moon again," Shikamaru said, giving the former Hokage a knowing look.

Naruto looked to the only woman in the room, the look on her face that of concern and confusion. She'd been quiet. "What do you think, Sakura?"

She walked forward and took the scroll, carefully opening it. "If what it says is true, we need more information. Anything to help prevent anything like the outbreak it described. Have you had intel look into it? Check if there's some sort of seal hiding the rest of it?"

Shikamaru nodded, sighing. "Yes. It's empty on purpose, it seems."

"The chakra on this scroll is definitely unusual. It smells," Sakura sniffs. "It smells like burnt cigarette but almost... sweeter?"

Sasuke looked at his wife. "The scroll could be in half."

"In half?" She met his gaze.

"Do you remember when we traveled together, the woman talking about an old religious folk tale?"

Sakura was quiet for a moment, before the look of realization passed onto her face. Their time alone together exploring the world outside of Konoha seemed so long ago, but she held that period in time near and dear to her heart. There was one specific place she could never forget. There, they spent a lot of their firsts as a couple, as well as ran into some trouble with the locals who still could not trust the, then, lone Uchiha. But in a small, relatively unknown, village, they were told of an old tale.

"Two halves of a whole..."

"What?" The Hokage's advisor tilted his head.

Kakashi's eyes refused to leave the map. Naruto noticed this and looked at him curiously. "What is it, sensei?"

"I haven't been your sensei in years, Naruto," Kakashi said in amusement before reverting back into seriousness. "This area. Weren't there small anti-shinobi uprisings around there after the war?"

Everyone's attention turned to the Sixth Hokage, remembering hearing of such events from what felt like so long ago. They weren't big enough to be an issue, but they did occur. The people who took part in them were those that blamed the shinobi for all of the major issues their world had to endure. And in a way, they were right. With the hope, peace, and light that shinobi had brought into the world, they also delivered pain, war, and destruction. It was the way things were. The world needed to be in balance. And although the world was experiencing an incredible time of peace, there would always be an inevitable force that would come to challenge it.

* * *

 **Note:**

Ooh~

I'm back! A new full chapter is coming very soon!

Anyone have any idea about what two halves of a whole means? And what about those anti-shinobi?


	7. (Genesis) Chapter Five: Red Revelations

**Note:**

" talk " - The characters are speaking in Japanese.

 _" talk " -_ The characters are speaking English.

' _talk_ ' - The characters are thinking.

More notes at the end of the chapter.

* * *

 **Before you read this chapter!** (6/18/2019) Make sure to reread the previous ones, since I have updated each with corrections and a few new scenes.

* * *

 **Eternal**

 **Part One: Genesis**

* * *

 **Chapter Five**

 **Red Revelations**

* * *

Her mind was still reeling. It was only a few minutes ago when she looked down at her own hand and witnessed it do something she never thought possible. Hands build, create, destroy, heal, she knew that, but they weren't supposed to do any of that without some sort of aid. Aid like force exerted. Aid like grabbing a tool. Aid was not supposed to come through magic!

Magic… Was that what it was? No. She was too old to believe in such things. But what could explain what happened?

When she was younger, she loved fairy tales, loved the thought of being a princess waiting for her prince. But she grew up. She realized she shouldn't wait for someone to help her. She had to save herself. Even with those realizations, she still held some of the naivety within her. She wouldn't admit it out loud to many, but, saving those childlike thoughts and dreams in the world she lived in, it helped. She didn't want to be disillusioned with dreams of grandeur, but to lose the childlike whimsy seemed to her like losing a part of her that told her that it was okay to dream. It was okay to strive for what you want, and it was okay to have a child's positivity.

But magic? If that's what it was. It's one thing to retain some childhood innocence, but to toss her logical side away? She couldn't. There had to be something else.

She heard a thump and looked up from her hands on her lap. Right. She was in Tsunade's tent. And the doctor herself was in there, as well. She saw what happened.

"You wake up, yet?" Tsunade said, eyes quizzical with a shimmer of amusement. She thought her mental breakdown was entertaining.

"Uh," she stuttered. "I… just don't know what-"

"It's incredibly shocking, I know." The older woman walked towards where she was sitting, on the other end of the table. "But you'll get over it."

She didn't know how to respond. So she didn't.

"I know, for me, when I found out, I flipped out, too."

That caught her attention. Her jaw dropped. "You?"

"Yes, me." Tsunade grinned. "You don't get as far as I have in this field without a little help,"

"Aren't you fift-" The challenging look on her superior's face made her close her mouth before she could finish the sentence. But the news still hit her hard. Her idol, the person she strived to be like in the field, could also do what she did. "I… How?!"

Tsunade grimaced at her tone. "A little louder, I'm sure the entire site didn't hear you!"

Sakura shrunk a little, sheepishly. "Sorry," she apologized. "I just… don't understand how and what just happened."

She sighed, grabbing a chair and sitting directly in front of the startled young woman. "You saw a patient in need of help, and without thinking, your body told itself what to do to help."

"That helps a lot," Sakura said aside, sarcasm dripping off her tongue.

"Geez, let a woman finish!"

"Yes, ma'am!" Sakura squeaks. Right, this was Tsunade Senju. Better hold her tongue.

"As I was saying, like me, you have the ability to heal. I figured out when I was a little older than you were. I was working my hospital rotation, when I passed by a patient's room. The door was slightly open, so I caught a peek of a man who looked to be choking. The nurse was nowhere to be found, but I used the phone in the room and called her. I rushed in there. He was unconscious. I was ready to perform standard CPR because it felt like the nurse and doctor were taking too long. I had my hands ready, stationed above his chest, when it happened."

She didn't have to ask what 'it' was.

"Naturally, they were pissed I did something without my supervisor, but the man was dying, so what choice did I have?" Tsunade shrugged. "We do this to save lives, and a lot of the time, we don't have time to second guess."

Her dark brown eyes were on her now. This was her way of saying she wasn't mad that she acted without a supervisor. But that was far from what worried her. "So what is 'it,' 'this' exactly?" Sakura raised a hand slowly, confusion laced in her words.

"To be perfectly honest," Tsunade stood. "I don't know."

"You," Sakura stared, slack jawed. "You _don't_ know?!"

"Watch it!"

"Sorry."

Yet another sigh escaped her lips. "Yes, I don't know what these 'powers' are exactly," She says, making air quotations. "But what I do know is that, as far as I know, only you and I have the ability to heal like that, specifically."

"Specifically." Sakura had a swarm of questions flying around her brain, but she couldn't sort them out. "If you had this power, how haven't you healed the people here?"

"This case is different." Tsunade walked over to where she dropped the stack of files on the desk. Opening a few folders, she slid the contents within it over to the young pinkette.

Sakura eyed them suspiciously before slowly spreading them out. On them were charts, images, and scans of patients within the site. She looked up questioningly. "These..?"

"Are from patients here, yes," she confirmed. "What do you see?"

She held one up, reading through its contents. She held another one with her other hand, eyes scanning it. Her eyes went down to the papers splayed in front of her. Her heart stopped. "They look normal."

Tsunade nodded.

Sakura couldn't believe it. "Nothing wrong in the CT scans, the thermal scans. Nothing in the ultrasound either. But the previous tests! We were sure it was severe sepsis. What about the positive urine drips, the-"

"Things don't always go by the book, Sakura. But it still is sepsis."

Sakura's head was beginning to spin. She could only take so many bombshells at once.

Tsunade observed her. The first revelation really did take a toll on her. During the short period of her being her student, she had never seen her react in such a way. "Sakura."

Sakura slowly raised her head, placing the papers she held up down back onto the table as she watched Tsunade walk towards her, the envelope she was told to retrieve in Tokyo in her hands. Tsunade held it out for her, and she takes it from her hands. As she was opening it, Tsunade spoke. "The first one is of a patient named Natsuki Sato. He was the first."

Sakura took out the papers from the envelope. She felt the oxygen suck into her body. It was a full body thermal scan. And it didn't look like the ones she was just shown. Flaming red lines interspersed within the body looking to connect. They were right where the blood vessels should be. It looked like it was either taking over the blood vessels or were being created right on top of them. "Is this a new pathway?"

A nod was all she needed. "Wow. I just…"

"Look at the other one."

Sakura did just that and held the other paper up with her other hand. It looked almost the same, but where the first one was looking like the smaller pathways still needed to connect, the new one was complete. From the brain, all the way down the toes, it was formed and with numerous nodes throughout. And at the top where the forehead was was a perfectly shaped diamond. She looked at it, then looked at the same shape adorned on her master's forehead.

"This is yours."

"Yes."

"But… you're fine! Did you go through anything like this?"

"Nothing like this at all. It looks like their bodies can't handle it."

"Then, this new pathway has something to do with the glowing..?" She trailed off. She didn't need an answer. She thought that by saying it out loud would make it less terrifying to think about, but it didn't help at all.

Tsunade didn't reply. She knew that Sakura was connecting the dots. It was quiet for a beat until Sakura said, "Can I get a scan of me?"

"If that's what you want." Figuring it was enough for one day, she walked closer to her seat and placed a hand on her shoulder. Wrinkles of worry on her forehead, Sakura looked up. "I figured you've had enough for today. After your thermal scan, you can go to the camp and rest up."

Sakura would normally refuse, but today was different. She needed some air.

* * *

The woods kept them from the rest of the world. Nothing but the large expanse of nature accompanied the two friends on their hike up Mount Tottabetsu. The sounds of the animals play as welcoming background noise as they reached their stop at the peak of the mountain. They spend the day going upwards, exchanging jabs at each other about who could reach the top first, but as luck would have it, they both did.

"Woohoo!" Naruto yelled out into the world, his arms stretched out. "I'm the king of the world!"

Sasuke scoffed as he walked to the spot next to him.

Being so high up, he quietly enjoyed the view of the ridges, the mountains, and small rivers that occupied the area. It's places like the one he was in at the moment that gave him peace. Living in the city, it was hard to have any quiet time. It was always a rush from one place to another. No one was ever stopping to enjoy the time and place they were in anymore. In the age they live in, it was about what was next. It was some sort of relief to just think about the now.

Naruto smiled eyeing the area. A flock of birds flew high up where the white clouds mingled with the light blue sky. The sun was out, shining down on the world below it as the trees took in its warmth. But within the green of nature and the blue of the rivers was a bright white spot close to the mountain they stood atop of.

"That must be the research place!" Naruto exclaims, pointing in its direction.

Sasuke follows the direction of his finger and spots the unordinary spot filled with white tents and people in white moving about like ants from his point of view.

"Wonder if Sakura-chan's doing alright there." His friend muses, glancing at him with a sly grin.

"Hn." Sasuke felt like he didn't need to buy into his goading.

"So did you actually know her name or was that really a guess that night in the manor?" He felt Naruto's elbow poking his ribcage.

He was not going to budge no matter how irritating his, sadly, best friend got.

Naruto pouted. "Fine. Don't tell me." Squatting down, he folded his arms sulkily.

"Quit acting like a child." Sasuke scoffed.

"Hey, I'm being ignored. I can act how I want!"

With a roll of his eyes, Sasuke sighed. "You haven't changed."

"Uh, yeah, I have! I think I'm taller than you now."

"Check your sight."

"I'm pretty sure I am."

"I'm not doing this back and forth again."

"You always do, though."

"Why am I friends with you?"

Naruto feigned hurt, placing his hand on his chest. "Aw! You wound me, Lord Saucy."

"Here we go."

He laughed. "No matter how asshole-y you get, I know you're a softy on the inside."

"I will fillet you."

"But really though, that time on the playground when you pushed me off the swing was not fucking cool."

"You were shoving dirt in my eye."

"You wanted dirt shoved in your eye."

"Is this conversation going anywhere?"

"I don't know."

"…"

"…"

"How'd we become friends anyway?"

"Tch, I just asked you the same thing, literally two seconds ago."

"Like you were so mean. You are mean. And I'm me."

Sigh.

"Quit sighing and listen, I'm trying to reminisce here!"

Giving up, Sasuke sat down on the grass, too. "Itachi told me it was one day after school."

Naruto tilted his head to his direction.

"He saw you frowning at me, asked if I knew you. I said no because I wanted to go home. Then, you just approached us, and I've never managed to get rid of you ever since."

"You make it sound like I'm a bad rash or something." He vaguely remembered that day. They went to the same elementary school but were in different classes. They'd see each other in passing but never really spoke much unless they were arguing during break time over little things in the playground. He didn't think they'd get along like they did, but a decade and then some later, there they were.

"Hn."

They let the breeze cool off the sweat that was dripping off of them as they stared into the horizon. Neither of them wanting to admit the immediate pull they both had felt when they first met, like they already knew each other. It was why it was so easy for Naruto to push Sasuke's buttons and why Sasuke willingly handled his exuberance. It felt natural.

Sasuke let his eyes go over the research site below them, thoughts straying to a certain pinkette. Not since meeting Naruto had he felt that natural connection to someone. Speaking with her, although their conversations up until then were brief, felt easy, like speaking to a long lost friend. But there was something else he couldn't quite name. It was pulling him towards her, intoxicating him. He needed to know what it was.

As his eyes continued to concentrate on the area, his head began to pound. His stomach heaved, its contents threatening to pour out of his system. The throbbing continued even when he shut his eyes tightly, hands massaging his temples. The muscle in his right check flexed trying to refrain himself from groaning out in pain. He felt needles prick his eyeballs, trying to pry them open. He felt his body shut down, everything seemed to stop working and time seemed to halt. With one eye open, he checked the world around him.

Devoid of any color, the world around him spun. The trees that were firmly rooted on the earth's soil were floating upwards and the sky turned into the raging see, shrouds of mist floating above the dark waters. Flames of charcoal attacked, quickly overrunning every space in sight.

He looked beside him, and Naruto was nowhere in sight. Panicked, he stood up, realizing the flames on the waters were heading for him, intimidating him to run or jump in. But there was nowhere to run. He was stranded. Lifting his head, he looked to the sight in front of him.

Chaos.

But there was something there.

A lone tree, rising above the water, overtaking the area with its size and volume. It caused the water around it to form large waves, big enough to swallow an island whole. Its branches stretched high up into the upside-down trees that took the sky's place, piercing the soil above. Patches of soil and rock landed in giant drops on the water. Once hitting the grey expanse of the sea, what was grey and dull transcended into a disorienting red. The waters rocked and reached where he stood. His shoe met its wetness, but that was the least of his worries. His eyes only looked forward, never leaving the giant tree that looked to be inching towards him.

* * *

He felt lighter, like half of his weight dropped. Around him was nothing but silence and lamp posts lighting up the dark, cold night. He felt his feet pound onto the pavement. He was running. Where? He had no clue.

There was an eeriness to the place. He heard no one, but it was an area filled with homes and stores that looked to be lived in and frequented. Everything looked oddly old fashioned yet had some modern essences. He'd never been here before, but it elicited a sense of warmth despite the cold, empty aura. All he could recognize was a symbol, a symbol similar to the symbol of his family's corporation. But the colors were flipped. Red and white to white and red.

Then he saw it.

Bodies upon bodies, bloodied and lifeless on the ground. He felt himself stop, his chest heaving. Staining the fans painted onto the walls, was dried, dark red stains filling the air with a metallic taste.

He felt panic rise within him. Slowly walking through the bodies, eyes filled with fear and confusion as to what he was witnessing. He noticed the stab wounds on their bodies where the blood exited, painting the pavement red.

There, he felt himself begin to run again. His feet lead him to a big traditionally Japanese home. He didn't know what was happening. It was him. It was his body. Then why wouldn't it react to his brain's commands. His hands raised to slide door after door open.

One last door.

He could see traces of blood leading up to it, and his hands hurriedly went to open it.

In front of him, two bodies. Pools of blood seeping through the wooden floors. The taste of the air made him want to vomit. His eyes raked over the lifeless forms in front of him, the same symbol on the walls were sewn onto the back of their clothes stained with crimson.

As he slowly let his eyes move up, he was met with eyes so red, it lit up the darkness.

And then he saw nothing.

* * *

"Hey, Sasuke, you alright?" Naruto looked at him with concern.

Sasuke opened his eyes, the throbbing pain ripping his head open disappearing. He was still sitting down, the grass beneath him. He looked around. Not a thing looked out of place. Everything looked just as they were, just where they were supposed be.

He took a deep breath in. "Yeah."

Naruto eyed him suspiciously. "You sure?"

Before he could answer, a black cat made an appearance, meowing at the pair for attention. The meow made then turn their heads to the approaching feline. Slowly walking to where the two sat, he rubbed himself on Sasuke's leg, his copper eyes staring into his own.

He patted the cat's head. "Yeah. I'm fine."

Naruto was sure he was anything but.

* * *

Walking out of the pickup truck, Itachi observed the area. This was his first time visiting the site he recently helped fund. Rows upon rows of white tents occupied the area beyond the fence and nearby, a scattering of small huts and cottages. The moon provided the area some light, and a few tents looked to be lit up. Even just a few meters away from it, he could feel the shift in temperature. Nights surrounded by this much vegetation usually guaranteed the air be cool. During the short drive there, the air conditioning was off in favor of rolling the windows down to enjoy the night air. He couldn't feel it here.

The news still hadn't gone out about his involvement, so he was told to visit at night when majority of the workers were asleep.

In front of the fence, he saw Tsunade standing, foot tapping impatiently. As soon as she saw him, she nodded to the entrance, turned her phones flashlight on, and began walking. He followed suit.

Walking through the unlit huts, he sensed an unusual tranquility amongst the heat. Hopefully that wouldn't change. As quietly as they could, they entered Tsunade's cottage.

She turned her phone light off and flipped a lamp switched to on. Replacing the night covered room was a brightness that showcased the unorderly kept room. A small bed was placed in the far left corner. A large table with stacks upon stacks of books and paper was strategically placed near the window to the right. He also noticed empty bottles of sake inside the trashcan beside it.

He took a seat on one of the wooden chairs situated next to the edge of the table and rested his left arm on it as she moved towards the seat opposite his. "So, what have you found?"

"My hunch was right." She sat down. "She has it."

Itachi felt his eyebrows go up. "When did you find out?"

"Right when she got back. Saw it myself." Placing her elbows on the table, she laced her fingers together and brought them to her chin. "She's a healer."

"And was she aware of this?"

She shook her head. "It was very obvious to me this was the first she'd experienced doing it. She looked scared, mostly. Not willing to believe it."

"Most people wouldn't." Itachi rubbed his chin and rested it on his hand as he put his elbow on the table. "Have you had her scanned?"

"Just today. She asked for it, in fact."

"You showed her yours?"

"Yes. And a patient's."

Itachi looked at her in surprise, brows furrowed. "So it's confirmed."

Tsunade unlaced her fingers, took a folder from the top of the nearby stack of textbooks, and slid it to the Uchiha. "The first person to have succumbed to it shows signs of the pathway forming within him."

He opened the file and studied it. "Is It similar to when..?"

"The first signs were, but it looks as if their bodies can't handle it. I suspect it's because you were a child that your body reacted the way it did. But we have full grown adults here suffering far greater than you have. Minus the eye issue."

He swept his hair aside as it was beginning to cover his vision. "Any accounts of the night terrors?"

She shook her head. "None. And it's not like we can ask many of them, they're unconscious."

"Are you going to show your findings?"

She sighed at this. "I would; however, I'm not sure how. I know the first thought would be possible spontaneous human combustion since it looks like their bodies are on fire. But previous scans showed their bodies to be fine. New scans and test results have come in showing there's nothing wrong with the patients. It would cause panic. It'd be easier to tell them it's just severe sepsis and come up with some bullshit reason for the cause, but ethically, I couldn't do that. But I also can't keep them here for too long. It's too much of a risk. We still don't know why so many people managed to get them. Could be a contagion, but their test results don't show any signs of such."

The Uchiha pondered for a moment. "Do you have to report to him soon?"

"Yes, though I'd love to avoid that for as long as possible. He's the one who got me into making this public, and since he's heading government supervision of this, he'd want to show up here eventually." She rubbed her temples. "This was supposed to be a private study. When I found out about this, I thought it was too similar to your case. Naturally, I also thought I could get this handled quickly, but here we are."

"Things don't always go according to plan."

"I know that! But now he's got his eye on me. And you. I have a feeling he somehow knows about what's happening."

"So I'm not the only one with the suspicion."

"He's not one you can trust. I got into this because I had to. You, on the other hand, you could've just ignored it." She frowned, an eyebrow raised quizzically. "Why did you decide to call and ask to help? Philanthropy isn't the only thing."

"Why, indeed." Instead of answering her, he stared outside the window, observing the still leaves on branches, unmoving, as if waiting for his reply.

Tsunade, about to press on for an answer, felt her phone vibrate on the table. Eyeing the notification on the screen, she bolted out of her seat and grabbed her laptop placed on the dresser beside the small bed. Flipping it open, she began typing and moving the touchpad.

Itachi noticed the sudden commotion and stood up, arms folded.

Tsunade's eyes frantically skim and read through whatever was on the screen. Moving her finger across the touchpad, she clicked on something. Brows narrowed, her eyes widened.

He walked over to where she was, and, since there was no protest, looked over her shoulder to the image on her screen.

A thermal scan of the pathway formed in someone's body and on the forehead was a diamond formed. The red wasn't as big or bright as Tsunade's, but it was there, and it looked to Tsunade, that it would be getting bigger.

"Is this..?"

"Sakura Haruno."

* * *

Thoughts of yesterday still on her mind, Sakura walked towards the nearby river. She was on her break and decided to head out to get some fresh air. The site had been feeling hotter than usual. She would question why, but she already knew the answer.

Except she didn't. Not all of them.

Looking at the clean blue waters beneath her, she decided to take her shoes off and maybe have her feet get a little wet as she'd sit by the water. She knew it could be breaking protocol, but it was tempting. Her hand gripped the bag slung across her body in contemplation.

However, she didn't get to make her mind up about it. At the corner of her eye, she sees a woman with greying hair and wrinkles adorning her face. She had a cane in hand, as well, to help her stay up.

' _Was this..?'_ She straightened up and walked to her. "Hello, ma'am, you can't be around this area."

Before she could take another step further, a black cat jumped out of the bushes and stopped in front of her. Meowing loudly at her, he sat down, tail wagging behind him.

"I can be wherever I want. It's you lot trespassing."

That was an answer Sakura wasn't expecting. "Yes, there's a medical investigation being held. For your safety, it's advised to get away."

"Pfft!" She laughed. "I'll be fine."

 _'Okay, the others weren't kidding when they said she was a hard one to convince.'_

"Ma'am-"

"Besides, chakra ain't going to hurt me… Unless deliberately."

Sakura tilted her head. "I don't know what this has to do with yoga-"

"Not yoga! Chakra as in the same thing you got! The same thing these people are getting!"

Her jaw dropped. "What?!"

The old woman sneered at her reaction. "Are you always this slow?"

"No, I just… I don't know what you're talking about."

"Follow me."

And with that the lady walked off, the black cat following in her footsteps.

Sakura knew she should be reporting to Tsunade soon, but her curiosity was piqued. The woman knew! Of course, her curiosity was piqued. But what if she was just crazy? What if she was spouting nonsense?

"I'm not gonna wait forever, missy!"

Sakura squeaked and before she knew it, she found herself following her into the forest.

* * *

She heard the sounds of cicadas all around her. There were occasional bird calls and rustling of leaves, as well, as she walked into the unknown. For an old woman with a cane, she was fast. Sakura lightly jogged behind her to keep up.

Not too long after, they had arrived in front of a little cottage, cats of all shapes and sizes surrounding it. Sakura cautiously walked towards the front steps, making sure she wasn't bothering the furry fellows. Eyes followed her, intrigued at the newcomer their master had brought home.

Sakura heard a door open and looked up to see the woman with her arms folded. "Well? Get in!"

"You're not, like, the witch in Hansel and Gretel, right?"

"Do I look like I wanna eat a little thin thing like you?"

The pinkette didn't respond but made her way in anyway. The door shut behind her as she looked around. There were even more cats inside the place than out.

 _'This is putting crazy cat lady to a whole new level.'_

"Sit." The older woman beckoned for her, pointing at a newly vacated seat on the couch where a cat had just jumped off to make room. She sat down on a rocking chair opposite of the couch, a cat on her lap.

Gingerly, she did.

"It's you."

Sakura raised a brow. "Excuse me?"

"A little kitty told me she saw you come in. Green eyes, pink hair. It _is_ natural, right?"

"Yes," she replied, as if testing the word out.

"Great!" She cackled as she stood up, scaring the cat on her lap and making her jump onto the floor. Cane left on the chair, the woman excitedly walked to a drawer placed by the wall separating the kitchen and the living room. "You have no idea how long I've been itching for this thing to be off my hands."

"Wait!" Sakura got up, as well, hurriedly walking to the spot next to her. "What did you mean by chakra?"

"Chakra! You know, physical and spiritual energy!" She said, digging through her belongings in the drawer before sighing, frustrated, and closing it shut. She moved to the drawer next to it.

"So it _is_ yoga?"

"Are you deaf? I told you no. That's stupid! Besides, I don't think you need that much exercise. You need more food in that body of yours, young lady! You're too young to be dieting."

Sakura didn't know how to respond to that, so she didn't. "No, earlier. How did you know I have… whatever this is?"

"Chakra? I felt it! You have lots of it. Unlike this bag of bones here."

"You have it, too?" She said as she noticed a piece of fabric with a familiar symbol on it. But the colors looked off. "Isn't that the Uchiha Corp. symbol?"

"Nope. It's the old Uchiha Clan symbol. They used to come from here, y'know? Then went off to the city and succumbed to the sin of capitalism."

 _'This lady doesn't have a filter, at all.'_ She thought. "Why do you have it?"

"My family used to do business with them, y'see. Long ago."

"When you were a child?"

"Do I look that old? No, I meant _longer_ ago."

"Ma'am, I-"

"It's Kyo Nakajima, but I get called Nekobaa a lot. Runs in the family." Another frustrated sigh left her chapped lips as she shut the drawer again. "Now, where did I put that damn thing?!"

The black cat that was with them at the riverbank pounced onto the drawer and meowed at Nekobaa. She snapped her fingers. "Ah, yes! Thank you, Toma." Her feet quickly move her to the coffee table in front of the couch. She was about to get on her knees to get something from under it, but Sakura beat her to it.

On her knees, she let her hands search under the dark, wooden coffee table and felt a dusty box. Sliding it out, she let out a cough as a cloud of dust slid out with it.

Snatching it out of her hands, Nekobaa placed it on top of the table. "Thank you, pinky."

Sakura knew she was excited and had no clue why, so she decided to ask. "Why are you so sure it's for me?"

"Have you met anyone else with natural pink hair and green eyes? No. Thought so. This thing had been passed down in my family. And every time it did, we were always told to give it to someone with your hair and your eyes. And since, I'm the last of my family, I'd rather not leave it collecting dust and curse my family's ghosts."

"Oh, that can't be true."

Nekobaa scoffed. "You didn't know chakra exists, yet you have it. Things aren't always what you see, y'know." With that, she opened the dusty box. "There it is!"

It was a scroll. Even underneath the dust, it was clear that the paper yellowed with age and looked heavily worn. ' _Just how old is that thing?'_ Sakura stared at it, still unsure of her part in whatever this was.

Taking it out of the box, Nekobaa blew on it to expel the dust that remained. Holding it out for her to see, she spoke. "I know you have a lot of questions-"

"That I definitely do."

"But hopefully this will answer them all."

Sakura touched the yellowed paper of the scroll. "Have you read it?" She placed it in her hands, feeling its weight.

Nekobaa shook her head. "We were never allowed to. But now that you have it, you can. All I know is that it's very important."

"But I-" Sakura had so many more questions, but the vibration from her bag she felt on her hip interrupted her before she had the chance to ask any of them. She didn't have to check. She knew she was being paged back.

Nekobaa noticed this. "Go. You must be busy. So young and already successful, I see."

"Oh, no. I'm not there yet. Soon, hopefully."

"Well, if the scroll is worthless, come back here. I can answer some questions, I think. Just not the when and a lot of the hows. Now, shoo! I don't want any of them city freaks near my property."

"But I'm from the city."

"Are you?"

* * *

Sakura thought yesterday was strange, but today was challenging that head on.

It was dark out, and everyone had moved into their cabins and huts for some rest. All day, Sakura was itching to head back to hers and see what was inside the scroll.

When she got back from Nekobaa's place, she only had time to drop her bag off to her hut before returning to her duties. Tsunade was acting off. She was used to her cutthroat, straight to the point manner, but there seemed to be something bugging her. The stress she must endure spearheading the entire operation must be tough. But she'd never witnessed it undermining her performance.

She shook her head. She was Tsunade Senju. She would be fine tomorrow. Still, she worried.

Sakura walked to her bed where she placed her sling bag containing the scroll. Sitting, she unzipped it and gingerly took the scroll out. Turning it from one side to another, she carefully examined its unopened state. With a deep breath, she touched the end where the paper ends and slowly unrolled it.

Her heart was beating, excited for some concrete answers. Sweat formed on her temples, the heat of the area adding to her want.

But there was nothing in there.

Her shoulder slumped. Was it all just a ruse? Was there some sort of hidden camera in there?

She continued unrolling it until she reached the very end where one single sentence greeted her: _Only those with the eyes can see._

Confused and frustrated, Sakura groaned. She should've known that old lady was crazy. Who lived with that many cats and retained their sanity? She plopped onto her bed, her feet dangling on the edge. Rubbing her temples, she exhaled. "What ' _eyes'_?"

She laid there in silence for a few minutes before reaching for her phone and putting on a search engine.

 _'Mais_ _ō, Japan.'_

The Wikipedia page had standard information that she didn't need. And the other links didn't tell her anything either. Out of the sheer thirst for answers, any type of answer, she typed in ' _Mais_ _ō_ _Japan eyes'._ Nothing on the first page caught her attention. She continued onto the following pages until she landed on one mentioning the small town's lore. The website had a dark brown background, giving it a sort of woodsy feel. Her eyes looked at the links it provided.

 _History of Mais_ _ō_

 _Maisō_ _Lore_

She read the welcome page first, to look if it had any legitimacy to it. The writer claimed that his family is from the small village. He grew up listening to folk tales and stories from his grandparents who lived there until their deaths. He hadn't visited the place since but mentioned making plans to.

Deciding to go forward and read the contents of the website, she clicked on the link that would take her to a page explaining to lore she didn't even know the village had.

* * *

When I was a child, my grandmother loved talking about stories her grandparents and their grandparents before them shared with them of an energy us humans have lost, something that helped us create incredible things. But she also talked about how that power helped destroy what was created.

She never knew what that **energy** was called, only that it used to be part of our bodies. But for a long time, it had been lost. But she told me she didn't believe it was all gone.

She said the village that once stood before Maisō was a village so powerful that it was hidden in leaves to keep that power safe. My grandfather always argued this, saying that it was just a metaphor. But they did agree on the village's impact.

He said our family was told to be one of importance, that we had help from the **shadows**. It sounded ominous to me, as a child, but it hearing their stories wasn't a drag, like I thought it was going to be.

They mentioned other powerful families, including one so powerful, they shook the balance of the world. They never could remember a name, but they did remember that their power came from something called a mirror wheel eye: **The Sharingan**. They didn't know the full extent of its power, but they were certain of its power..

"But with that power came pain," my grandfather would say, and he'd leave it at that, never answering the questions I asked him. "It's a story too dark for someone your age," he'd say.

With Maisō's, or what it used to be, influence, there were many times of trouble. She talked of stories of the village facing destruction by **giant animals** , a war, hell, even **aliens** , if you could believe that.

Of course, I found some to be far too unbelievable, but as a child, they were stories I loved hearing.

\- To be updated.

 _Signed, Nara._

* * *

"Papa?" She exclaimed, voice filled with pleasant surprise.

He turned around and saw her smiling brightly at him. She looked to be a little taller than she was the last time he was home. The last time… He wondered how long it would be until he could stay longer than a month at home with his family. But he had duties to uphold. Sins he still felt that he hadn't atoned for. But whenever he would look at her and see the subtle changes she'd grow into, like when her hair grew a bit longer or she'd grow an inch taller, he'd feel a sense of disappointment in himself. The dobe's son was right in suggesting to spend time with her.

"You're back? Since when?"

"Just a little while ago."

"But what are you doing here?"

"Boruto told me you'd be here."

She looked a little flustered. "Boruto did?"

"Are you about to train?"

Her hands met on her chest, her eyes shifting from one place to another, nervous. "Um… Well.."

 _'She looks so much like me but so much like her mother, too.'_ He mused inwardly as a smile formed on his lips, enjoying seeing her mother's tendencies on her. She truly was their daughter. "Do you want to go check out the festival?"

Raising her head and meeting his eyes, she looked a little surprised. Then, she gave him a wide smile, cheeks flushing as she excitedly replied, "We can?!"

He placed a hand on her hair, ruffling it up a little. "Let's go, Sarada."

With that big smile, she nodded. He wanted her to smile like that more, and if being home more would make that happen, he would.

* * *

Sasuke felt his eyes open slowly, the light in his room making him struggle doing so. ' _I must've left it on.'_ He groaned.

Getting up, he stared at the window to his right at the trees that made up the forest around him. Trees. The vision he saw earlier in the day still haunting his thoughts. He had been trying to find reasons to explain it. He thought maybe he just fell asleep. But Naruto said he was awake and hadn't spoken for a minute, going eerily quiet.

He rubbed his head, annoyed. He didn't want to get caught up in that. Getting off the bed, he headed to the kitchen. Maybe a late night snack would get his mind off of things.

He expected the kitchen to be empty, but he saw Naruto by the table, cup ramen in front of him with noodles falling cartoonishly out of his mouth. "Hey." He said, voice muffled.

Sasuke nodded as a response.

"You got the late night munchies, too? What are you getting?"

"A salad."

Naruto gulped down the noodles. "What's with your obsession with salads?"

"They're a healthier option than cup ramen." Sasuke opened the fridge and grabbed a premade salad they brought with them to the trip.

"Haha," Naruto put his chopsticks down. "I mean, your password is 'sarada,' too. You giving up tomatoes?"

"Tomatoes can be in salad." Placing the salad on the table, he took a seat.

"You're being evasive."

"You're being annoying."

"Love you, too, brother."

Sasuke sighed. "Whatever."

It was quiet after that. Only the sounds of Naruto's slurping and the soft crunches of the leafy vegetables that Sasuke was putting in his mouth were heard. When Naruto's bowl was empty, he stared at the stained plastic, thoughts going back to what he was imagining yesterday when they just arrived.

"Hey, Sasuke?"

"What?"

"Do you get the feeling that this place feels… off?"

The fork heading to Sasuke's mouth stopped midway, Sasuke's mouth left open. Slowly, he put the fork down and met his best friends stare. "What makes you say that?"

"Just… yesterday. I feel like I had this dream, but I was awake, y'know?"

He kept quiet for a moment, thinking of how to reply. When he felt like he found the words, he heard a loud yell coming from his brother's room.

He shot up to his feet. Naruto did, too. With a brief look at each other, they ran to the older Uchiha's room, concerned. Itachi was never phased by much. It couldn't be a bug or an animal. Something was happening.

Sasuke slammed the door open, and he and Naruto ran inside.

Itachi was cradling his head on his hands with a vice-like grip as he used his desk as support for his lower body. His screams continued, loud and alarming. Naruto was about to run to the medicine cabinet in the kitchen for a pain reliever, something to help what looked like a god awful migraine but a drop of red onto the table stopped him from moving.

"Itachi!" Sasuke ran to his side, putting his hand around his shoulders to support him. He felt something drip onto his shirt.

Crimson.

Coming from his brother's face. From his eyes shut tight.

"I'll call the emergency line!" Naruto said, panicked.

"No," Itachi said, voice sounding like sand paper. "Don't."

Slowly raising his head, the blood continued to fall freely down from his face to his clothes and to the floor. "They wouldn't know what to do."

Naruto was paralyzed, frozen in place as he took in the sight before him.

Sasuke felt his insides churn, his jaw clicking.

Itachi opened his eyes, and staring back at them they saw it.

Red.

* * *

 **Notes:**

And after so long, a full chapter update! Thanks for sticking by if you did, I really appreciate it.

So now that we're getting deeper into the story, there is some news I'd like to share with y'all!

First, I got a cat!

Second, this story is divided into three parts. The first ten chapters is Part One: Genesis. Parts 1-3 will all be in this one story.

Third, I'm also working on A Discovery of Witches SasuSaku AU which I will probably start uploading the end of the year.

Fourth, my cat's name is Selina.

And Lastly, I feel like changing the summary/ intro. If anyone has any suggestions, please leave a review with it or leave me an ask on Tumblr ( **connectedfeelings** ) or mention/ DM me on Twitter ( **sxlinasxkura)**

With how I write the characters, I wanted them to retain their personalities but tone it down a bit for it to make sense in the modern world. And in this period of time, their personalities are a mix of their genin selves, as well as their older, post war selves. Case in point, we have Sakura who is determined but has insecurities. I tried to write her as someone living in the dog eat dog world who still kept her childlike ambitions. Naruto has his dream to be a leader, excited but also shows moments of seriousness and maturity. Sasuke, I admit, was kind of tough to write. We have his need to rationalize everything, and the softer, mellower side I believe him to have if the massacre had not happened. Plus, Itachi is with him, so that adds to that. I was worried about how to write Tsunade and Itachi's interactions but I settled on takes-no-shit boss lady and calm-but-assertive boss man in a meeting. As we move along the story, the characters will get more recognizable as the story and plot unfolds.

Also, as you've noticed, their dreams are becoming less like them observing their past lives, but more them experiencing it in their past bodies with no control of it.

Now, I leave yall with some new questions. Let's see who gets them right! I love reading y'all's theories!

 **Q1: How will Sasuke react to Itachi's eyes?**

 **Q2: What is the importance of the scroll Nekobaa gave to Sakura?**

 **Q3: How will Kakashi formally make his entrance?**

 **Q4: Were Naruto's and Sasuke's parents' deaths accidents or planned? Are they the same parents from their past lives?**

 **Q5: Why was the excerpt from the Lore website written the way it was? What's its significance?**

Reviews are welcome! Happy reading!


	8. (Genesis) Chapter Six: Faint Whispers

**Note:**

" talk " - The characters are speaking in Japanese.

 _" talk " -_ The characters are speaking English.

' _talk_ ' - The characters are thinking.

More notes at the end of the chapter.

* * *

This chapter is unedited. (6/27/19)

* * *

 **Eternal**

 **Part One: Genesis**

* * *

 **Chapter Six**

 **Faint Whispers**

* * *

Sasuke held onto his brother's waist and arm dangling on his shoulder even tighter than before. A tsunami of thoughts overtook his mind, drowning everything else that stood in its place. He heard nothing but the panting, jagged breaths his brother took as he battled the pain he was experiencing. His hand was back on his face, staining it with the blood that escaped from his eyes, covering the source of the unimaginable pain he must have been feeling.

Those eyes.

He tried to wrap his brain around what he had just witnessed, thinking of things that could possibly explain the discoloration of his normally dark onyx irises - a trick of the light, contacts worn incorrectly, his brain conjuring up a fake image in place of Itachi.

But he knew that it was real. One look at Naruto's face, frozen in fright, in confusion, in concern, says that everything he saw was reality.

Dark red, a swirl of black reminiscent to a throwing blade embedded onto its surface. Veins etching the white expanse of his eyes showed the agony he must be suffering, as if the heavy scarlet streams and the dry, metallic taste in the air wasn't enough to concur.

They were different to what he saw in place of his own irises that night. Both eyes are of the same likeness. But Sasuke's, they were different shades: a scarlet red flower engraved onto a pitch black canvas, and swirls drawn into a sea of purple.

"What do you mean they wouldn't? It's their job to fix things," Sasuke finally replied, an unexplainable anger rising within him. Why doesn't his brother want help? "Naruto, call for emergency."

Naruto, whose face is contorting to a look of worry and dire, attempted to take his phone out of his pocket. He didn't even manage to type in one number before Itachi intervened.

"I told you no." His voice began to sound steadier, less breathless. "They wouldn't know how to handle it. This isn't the first time."

His hand slowly left his face, dragging it down until it was no longer on its surface, tracing scarlet trails along with it. Sasuke felt his brother's arm escape from his shoulders as he straightened out his posture. He wobbled a bit but steadied himself, his shoulders back, his arms on his sides.

Then his lets the lids covering his sight open.

The abnormality disappeared and back in its place were the eyes Sasuke knew since he was born.

No one said a word. Itachi, despite his appearance, stayed stone faced as the two younger men in the room stare wordlessly at the sight of him.

Naruto didn't know what to do, what to say. He'd known Itachi for years and not once had that ever occurred. Not once that he knew of. His eyes find Sasuke's that were wide, expressing so much yet containing them all to find which one he wanted to start with.

He remembered Sasuke talk about that time his older brother was sick when he was young. He only spoke of it once, and he couldn't help but wonder if whatever just happened is connected to it in some way, shape, or form.

"What was that?" Sasuke's voice was frighteningly quiet. He spoke with clenched teeth, an attempt to cage in what was to erupt. His brother said it wasn't the first time. Why hadn't he told him?

Itachi didn't answer him. Instead, he looked at the similar colors within his irises, silently asking him to not ask. That only fueled his anger.

"Itachi!" He took a step forward. "What the fuck was that?"

He didn't answer again. That was because he wasn't too sure himself. He had some answers, yes, but not enough to fill in the giant gaps between them.

His hands formed into fists. Sasuke didn't know why he was so mad. Was it because the sight terrified him? Was it because of the secrets that Itachi had been so obviously keeping from him? Maybe. If his brother was ill, and nothing could be done about it, he'd be left alone. Is that why his brother always used thinly veiled truths? Is that why he always gave him the same promise of next time?

What if next time would never come?

"I've been sick for quite some time, Sasuke." Itachi finally spoke, looking straight into his eyes.

"How long?" He was shaking. His body vibrated with the influx of differing emotions welling up within him.

He took some time to reply, a pregnant silence filling the room before he did. "Since we were young."

Sasuke knew exactly when. Itachi just confirmed his fears. His eyelids forced themselves to shut. "Why didn't you say anything?"

Naruto could tell he was about to explode. He'd said before that Sasuke was someone filled with so much emotion that he didn't know what to do with it. He hid beneath a veil of nonchalance and a tinge of arrogance because he was never great at concealing what he felt once they were overflowing his senses. It wasn't always like this. As he grew up, his demeanor began to shift to what it was now. It cemented itself right after the death of his parents. Some might say his parents' passing was the root cause of this behavior, but he disagreed. Itachi would, too. They'd seen it somehow grow into him far before the accident. Neither of them knew why.

Itachi remained quiet, not heeding his demand. As if on cue, his phone rang. He turned his back on the two and walked to where it was, on his desk.

"Itachi!" His yell was harsh.

Phone in hand, he walked to where his little brother was firmly planted on the ground. Two fingers met his forehead. "I'll tell you tomorrow. Get some rest."

Another next time.

That wasn't going to cut it for the younger Uchiha. He lunged forward, adamant on demanding him to speak, but felt himself being held back. Looking behind him, he saw that Naruto had his hands gripping his shoulders. His eyes determined, not wanting a physical confrontation between the two brothers.

"Tomorrow, Sasuke. I promise." Then Itachi made his way into the bathroom, phone in hand, and closed the door. The sounds of the lock clicking in place, his privacy achieved.

Sasuke shook out of Naruto's grip and angrily stalked out of the room, a series of curses exiting his lips. The fainter they got, the louder his steps seemed to get. And then a loud slam.

Naruto's eyes found the floor, then he briefly gazed at the closed bathroom door Itachi escaped to, feeling increasingly more aware of the heavy air only amplified by the tension between the two brothers who were always so close. The place suddenly felt even more intimidatingly eerie.

The event that had occurred right in front of him made him all too aware of the silence that replaced it and the creepy sensation of another presence that had appeared right after he was left alone. He felt a rumbling sensation in his stomach, one not familiar to him. It was like long, sharp nails were trying to escape his skin, but he knew his body was fine. But the rumbling continued, and he could somehow hear a loud growl in his ears. Clutching his stomach, he silently begged for the feeling to stop. Silent grunts escaped his lips.

 _"It's almost time, Naruto."_

He felt the gnawing inside his stomach cease, almost like the low, deep throated voice ordered it to.

It was silent again, and all he could hear was the pounding of his heart as he cautiously walked out of the room into his own where his thoughts would keep him up until dawn, plaguing him with questions to be answered, where when he finally closed his eyes for bed, a single swing tied to a tree branch swaying softly with the breeze would be the last thing he saw before a static image began to form a little boy's frame onto it.

Melancholy washed him over to slumber.

* * *

Despite the late hour, Itachi was still up, phone still on his ear as Tsunade continued.

"Right when you left, he called to announce his oh-so-important ass is to arrive tomorrow morning." He could hear her frustration. "I'd have to tell Sakura to leave tomorrow. I just don't know how."

"You'll figure it out. We can't have him know any more than he already does."

"Yeah, well, things are changing fast, Uchiha. All of a sudden, I can feel when people have pathways, like you. It's like you can feel someone with a different heat signature, like you described."

"We need to keep everything in our control or else he might do something."

"Don't you think I know that? That son of a bitch has been a thorn on my side ever since this whole shit show started."

"Make sure Sakura isn't anywhere near him. If you've started feeling it, she might, as well, considering your similarities."

Itachi found it too much of a coincidence that the two shared a similar pathway. Did the two have a connection they weren't aware of? Or was this just connected by their ability to heal.

He rubbed his temples. He needed rest.

After everything that had transpired when Sasuke and Naruto had seen his eyes, he knew it was only a matter of time until they realize their own differences from the natural human body.

Unless they've already gotten an inkling of it.

Ever since stepping foot in the mountain ranges, there had been odd visions he had been getting in his mind. And since he was beginning to notice the younger men's slightly odd behavior, he surmised that the two had been getting the night terrors or visions that he had begun to have ever since the illness that he had gotten when he was a child.

There was something about the place that irked him, as well. Naruto had described it as the air being heavy, and he was right. The patients with the growing pathways seem to be well on their way into having it fully formed. However, their bodies are not responding as it did his, or Tsunade's, or Sasuke's for that matter. If it goes on any longer, their bodies may just break down at the inability to handle the heat and pressure of it.

"Sasuke and Naruto have it."

"What?" Tsunade exclaimed.

"I've figured the possibility of them having it for a while now."

"And you didn't say anything?"

"It was dormant," he said. "Like it was waiting for something to happen. Ever since I'd gotten back from my last business trip, I'd felt the pathway become more present."

"They didn't show the same symptoms as the people of Maisō either, huh?" An aggravated sigh was heard from the other line. "This is more people with it in one place, and at such a terrible time, too."

"We'll keep out of your way. They'll be in the cottage all day tomorrow anyway."

"And you're absolutely sure of that?"

"Yes. They have a lot of questions." His palm was on the desk. "They saw it."

"It was only a matter of time."

"Yes, but it's Sasuke's reaction that worries me." Her silence gave him the signal to continue. "He was angry and adamant. I thought he would be, but there was something else."

"Not surprised he's mad. Your secrets could be the end of you, Itachi."

A sigh. "I know." Nothing was said for a few seconds before Itachi spoke again. "I'm calling him. He knows some things I don't."

"It's risky having this many people in the same vicinity, Uchiha."

"I know, but I'll tell him to come after he leaves."

They were already gambling on so much, but they needed all the help they could get.

Dropping the phone on his bedside table, he crashed onto his bed. He needed to rest for the morning.

* * *

It was very early morning. The sun had made its appearance over the horizon giving the warning of daybreak. Some birds began their morning songs, filling the air with a sense of peace, as animals had awoken from their slumber, ready to start the day. A few were awake at the site in Maisō, some of which had already began their duties in the tents, checking over patients and going over test results. Test results that couldn't begin to decipher what was truly going on in their systems.

Sakura was one of the few awake. She had gotten up early despite the fact that her shift didn't begin until noon. She wanted answers and her frantic internets searches didn't give her anything but more questions. She needed to find Nekobaa.

' _Who the hell writes such a lazy description of a town's lore and posts it on the internet? And 'to be updated' my ass. The website hasn't been updated in years!'_

With the scroll hidden within her sling bag, she looked at the campgrounds. Lights were off. People already awake were already in their stations. As sneakily as she could, her feet lead her to the direction of the river where she met the old woman. Hopefully, when she arrived, she'd remember which way it was to her little cottage.

But someone caught her leaving.

"Sakura, where are you going?" A loud, stern voice entered her eardrums.

Busted by the boss.

Inwardly chastising herself for not being more vigilant, she slowly turned to the source of the voice.

Tsunade was still in casual wear, sporting leggings and a baggy shirt that somehow still captured the curves she was blessed with. But that wasn't what Sakura was focusing on. It was the look of suspicion in her master's eyes. "Where are you going?"

"The nearby river." She felt like a child being caught sneaking out. Which, technically, she was, compared to the woman with her hands on her hips and her foot tapping impatiently on the grass.

Her eyes narrowed, studying her protégé's actions. She was up to something. She looked at the bag Sakura was clutching her right hand onto over her chest and felt a small surge of heat and power. Tsunade wanted to know what exactly was going on in that pink head of hers but decided it was good timing. She needed Sakura gone for a few hours to avoid unnecessary hounding from the guest that was to arrive. It's in her best interest to steer clear of the site until after he leaves.

"Okay," she says, hands letting go of her hips as she raised her arms to fold across her chest. "You're off for the day."

Sakura looked distressed. "What?"

She had just gotten back from a few days' worth of rest. If it kept going on like this, she wouldn't be getting as much experience as she had wanted. Something must be up. Tsunade would usually hound her for work. Was it because of what she just learned? Or maybe…

"Did… Did my results come in?"

"We'll discuss it afterwards. Don't come back to the site until late afternoon. We have a truck and a chopper ready in case you want to head to the nearby city." She turned on her heels and left a confused Sakura in its wake.

Something must have happened. Sakura wanted to know what was up but decided to trust her and wait. Tsunade was the only one nearby with answers that she may need. For now, she'd go and look for her other source of information.

Once she was out of the small village, the cool breeze that she felt yesterday never came. It was already hot in the site, but it seemed to have been spreading. If it was what she thought it was, it wasn't a good sign. Or was it? She scratched the side of her head. She didn't know why so many people were beginning to get a new pathway within them and that only Tsunade, and potentially herself, were the only ones who didn't experience the sepsis.

Or was it still sepsis? The charts they viewed yesterday showed no signs of the sepsis that they had seen in previous results. Were their bodies healing themselves? That wouldn't explain why they were still down for the count if their bodies looked to be completely normal.

It was beginning to frustrate the young woman. All of the impossibilities she had boxed away as such suddenly resurging as potential realities. She thirsted for knowledge. She couldn't just leave things as they were, it would drive her mad.

And then she began to think about her dreams, the ones she'd woken up to screaming, sweating, panting, or all of the above. Were they a sign of something, too? But that would mean Sasuke and Naruto had some part in it. Did they have whatever it was that she had?

Her eyes found the bright blue water of the river and sighed in relief. She hadn't gotten herself lost because of her inner monologue. Taking in the sight, she thought back to when she first arrived. It seemed like it was so long ago, but it was only a few weeks. Each new question seemed to age her, mentally and emotionally, exhausting her without second thought.

She walked by the river, eyes down at her feet as she managed to calm herself down and organize her thoughts instead of having them run amok in her brain. But she stopped, her feet no longer able to move as she felt a giant pound in her eardrums, an unexpected smoke covering her eyes as she turned towards the forest.

The trees were moving. No, the soil it was rooted on was. Giant gaps were formed by the movement of the earth. Animals and leaves fell to the ground or into the craters, the vibrations from the earth too strong for them to take hold. Sakura felt that the ground beneath her began to shake, but she couldn't move. Her mind was telling her to run, to escape. But her body didn't listen.

The air was incredibly dry, its pressure enough to make her feel like her lungs were being squashed. Her skin prickled, her mouth thirsted for any drop of water, any type of moisture. Her throat constricted, blocking whatever air she was breathing from her mouth. Her nostrils threatened to do the same.

Out from the craters sprouted a giant, sprawling tree, destroying the littler ones from the root up to take its place. It rose high up into the clouds, piercing it in the process and spreading its branches to cast a giant shadow over the land.

Then down from its branches, giant drops of red fell to the ground, everything it touched was splattered with its color, marking it as its territory.

At this point, Sakura was screaming in her head, to move, to do anything. But nothing happened. Instead she stared silently as a giant drop was heading to where she stood.

* * *

All she could see was destruction. A giant crater was created causing the houses and buildings to turn to rubble and debris.

Sakura found herself kneeling, eyes straight at the commotion that was taking place in front of her. She was too far to see anything, but she felt it. The strong surge of power that emanated from the middle of the crater, filling her senses. She felt different types of heat and energy from there, as well. One of which was so strong, she couldn't come to terms with its voracity. But its heat was that of tenderness, of warmth. It was inviting, almost. But it was determined, too, unwilling to back down.

A giant shadow was cast above her, covering the sun's bright rays. Squinting her eyes to see what was coming, she couldn't believe what she saw.

 _'Is that… a toad?!'_

Her mind seemed to be the only one reacting to it because her body doesn't move, as if flying toads were something not to be shocked about. But she felt another presence in her body. Was it her body? Because although it felt similar, it also felt a tiny bit shorter. And it felt a whole lot hotter. She felt that heat mostly on her forehead, as if a fire was burning within it.

The toad landed, poofs of dust flew past her face and her arms went up to cover her eyes. He had something cradled in his arms, protectively. But she felt heat, a familiar one at that, and realized it wasn't a thing. As carefully as the giant could, he lowered the body down to the ground, positioning the person onto a broken wall. The blonde hair caught her eye.

"Master!" She heard herself yell as her feet brought her body up and ran to the woman's almost lifeless body.

She didn't know what was happening. She was telling her body to quickly assess her master's wounds and check her pulse, but it ignored her. She felt something push her mind to the side like she was trespassing. All she could do was witness what was going on, in the eyes of who she thought was her but was made clear it wasn't.

"Lady Tsunade!" She exclaimed in worry as she dropped to her knees.

' _Lady?'_

She looked terrible. Her typically flawless features seemed to slowly disappear. Fair skin faded into grey and her body began to thin. Wrinkles formed all over her face as the bags underneath her eyes darkened. She was aging right in front of her.

"Sakura," she said, breathlessly. "I'm fine now."

The diamond on her forehead, once a bright purple, lost its vibrancy. And then, it was gone. A single red tear escaped her ducts as she panted for air.

Her hands held onto Tsunade's frail one, careful in handling it at her fragile state.

Seeing her in such a state made Sakura's chest ache. The woman she'd come to know as strong, independent, and as someone who was always at her best was almost unrecognizable in front of her.

"You did well, Lady Tsunade."

* * *

And then, her eyes opened.

She felt a gigantic, shaking exhale exit her lungs. Her hand was on her heart, clutching it to feel the fast pounding in her chest. She lost her footing, almost falling into the body of water before she caught herself, her hands on her knees, crouching to prevent the descent. She tasted salt on her lips and realized she was crying.

How could she not?

She had only known Tsunade personally for a number of weeks, but in that short amount of time, she had created connection with the woman, a connection she inexplicably felt that was already there to begin with. Standing up, she rubbed the tears from her face with her wrists and massaged her temples.

If her mind wasn't already plagued with questions, that ordeal just released an army of rats to spread it all throughout the Europe that is her head. Dumb analogies aside, it was terrifying. She thought she was going to die paralyzed, not doing anything to prevent her own demise.

She stood there for a few minutes, catching her breath and calming herself down. She needed to remember why she was there in the first place. She had questions, and Nekobaa seemed to be the only one with any type of answer. Maybe she could explain what had just happened.

Her eyes back to the forest, she walked to the direction she remembered from the day before.

It was oddly quiet. Yesterday, she heard some life within the trees, but today, there was nothing. Her stride became slower, her eyes searching the area surrounding her for any sign of danger.

She heard a faint rustling of leaves and a soft snap of a stick on the ground. Frantically looking around her, she hid behind a giant tree, making sure her hurried breaths were quiet enough to be overlooked.

There was nothing, for a few moments, until she slowly peeked her head out from the tree trunk. Just a few feet in front of where she stood were shadows, shadows of what looked to be three men. Her breathing quickened. Perhaps they were from the site?

"All those damned cats," she heard one of them say, a dark, menacing tone laced in his words.

"But the job's done."

 _'What job?'_ She thought, worry beginning to envelope her.

Sakura's foot moved slightly causing a tiny branch she didn't see underneath it to crack.

"Hear something?" She saw one of their shadowed heads move to her direction. She hid her head behind the trunk, holding her breath.

"Probably a squirrel. Let's get out of here."

With the sounds of their footsteps growing fainter until she could no longer hear them, she bolted out to where they came from.

It had to be Nekobaa.

And it was.

The sight that greeted her was gruesome, cruel. Lifeless bodies of cats discarded as if they were nothing but trash. Their little figures tarnished by the blood escaping them. Since she didn't hear any gunshots, the sick fucks must have stabbed the poor things. It smelt rancid. Nothing but the sick smell of the rotting flesh of the animals that had lived there.

Her hand covered her mouth and nose as she choked back a sob. It was despicable. She didn't know why anyone would commit something so heinous, but she knew the world was filled with terrible human beings as it was filled by those that weren't. Her heart sank. There was no way Nekobaa made it out of there.

With shaking hands, she took her phone out of her pocket and dialed for the local police. All she heard was the sound of an automated voice telling her there was no signal. She redialed the number multiple times, hoping it would ring and pick up her call. Nothing. She tried the emergency line. Nothing. It was like the signal was cut completely.

Falling to her knees, she let the tears escape, an overwhelming sense of helplessness taking over her. She could have sobbed for hours, she felt like. She knew she should be looking for help. But the people closest were at the site. And what if whoever did this was still out there. Fear began settling in her bones, making her still.

Out of nowhere, she felt a pulsing heat. It was soft, but it was there. Her eyes widened as she looked up from her hands, looking for its source. And she could feel it coming from behind the cottage. Getting on her knees, she walked to it, hoping for life within this ocean of death.

A single black cat, its body weak with traces of blood coming from its paw. It slowly opened its eyes, and a sliver of copper met downtrodden emerald. The pulsing heat was from the cat.

"H… help me."

Sakura stilled, her lip quivering. Was the cat talking?

"Please… heal me." His voice was getting weaker.

Sakura wanted to freak out, but she thought all she did so far was freak out. Swallowing her fears, she kneels before the cat, the blood on the grass staining her jeans. "I don't know how." Her voice was weak, distraught and in need of water.

"Just hover your hand… on my left front paw." The cat's paw was spread on the grass a few inches in front of his face. "And my stomach. Your body… knows."

She fought the urge to protest, unsure if it would actually do what she wanted it to. But she did it anyway. Slowly, she hovered her two hands above the parts he had told her to.

It did nothing.

Her shoulders slumped, and her mind began yelling at her body to do something. Anything. These past few hours, she'd done nothing but panic. She was beginning to feel useless, and she didn't like it.

"Please," she whimpered.

She didn't want to give up and stop there. She wanted to be a doctor, damn it. She wanted to save lives. She knew lives were lost and sometimes there was nothing to do about it, but she knew she could do something. So why wasn't her body listening?

She closed her eyes shut, willing for something to happen as the little black cat's jagged breathing grew fainter by the minute.

Her eyes quickly opened at the sensation of heat and power building up to her hands. She felt it all over, predominantly on her forehead. But she directed that heat, that energy onto her hands, hoping it'd go where she willed it to.

Her hands began showing the green, wave-like energy. A calm current gave a spark of hope. She could feel what was just a pulsing heat from the cat turn to a steady one. His panting turned to steady breathing and the wounds he suffered looked to have healed up.

She did it.

She smiled softly as new tears began to form, her relief making her body slump. If only she had come earlier.

The green energy disappeared, and she put her hands on her lap as the cat slowly got up.

"Are you okay?"

"Yes. You have my thanks."

Sakura gave him a small smile before her face shifted to worry. "What happened here?"

"Someone sent men here to kill baa-chan." She could hear the pain in his voice. "I don't know who, but I have a feeling it has something to do with the scroll she gave you."

She inhaled quietly. "Why?"

"That scroll's been in her family for generations upon generations. No one knows what's in it apart from that it's extremely important. This proves it." The cat begins to walk towards the woods. "We need to get you to an Uchiha."

She stood abruptly at the name, then recalled the day before when Nekobaa mentioned that their families did business with each other. "Does it have to do with her family's history with them?"

"It's the closest thing we've got. We better hurry. I can smell two of those buttmonkeys coming back."

"The Uchihas have a cottage here!" She recalled Naruto mention that that was where they were residing. "They could still be there."

"I know the one. Follow me!"

Sakura struggled to keep up with the black cat. Whatever she did to heal him took a lot from her. He stopped in front of Maisō, realizing the young woman was tiring. She stopped behind him, her hand on a tree trunk as she caught her breath. She saw where they were and sighed in relief. They'd be safe there.

"We should ask someone here to call the authorities," Sakura told the cat, taking a sure step towards the site's entrance.

"No." He ran in front of her, one of his front legs extending out, stopping her in her tracks. "I can smell one of them here."

"What? Here?" She panicked. What could she do? There was a murder site a short distance away, she needed to call the authorities. She remembered what Tsunade told her, that a driver would be on standby to take her to the helipad site. She could ask him to drive them to the Uchihas. Surely, they'd have a working phone.

She carefully picked up the cat and cradled him in her arms. His curious copper eyes turned to her.

"I've got a plan," she said as she walked out of the trees.

She spotted cars she hadn't seen before and wondered what they were there for. Was it why Tsunade told her not to be in the area the whole day?

She made her way to the familiar driver that was sitting underneath a large tree for shade and greeted him.

"That doctor said you needed a ride to the pad?" He asked for clarification as he tipped his sunhat back to look at her.

"Actually," she started. "Do you mind if you take me to the Uchiha's cottage?"

He raised a grey brow at this. "No one but the Uchihas are allowed to be there, young lady."

Biting her lip, she racked her brain for an excuse. Then she looks at the ball of fur in her arms. "This cat, I think it's theirs."

He looked suspicious. "Ya sure?"

"Heard them talk about him when we met at the landing dock."

"I don't see a collar." She looked at him with pleading eyes for what felt like forever until he stood up, relenting. "If you get arrested, that's on you, young lady."

They walked to the pickup. She opened the passenger door and let the cat make its way inside before she did. One foot was in when she noticed a man get out of a newly arrived black car. The greying hair, the dark aura surrounding him. It was Ito Shimura. Only there was something new. She felt it.

The heat.

All of a sudden, he turned and looked at her, eyes that hid so many dark secrets met hers. She turned away, vomit wanting to exit her system. She felt nothing but evil reside within him.

* * *

Sasuke and Naruto sat at opposite sides of the table with Itachi standing at its head. The tension was thick. None of them had gotten any proper rest that night. Itachi, most of all, with the call he had to make.

"Answers, _aniki_ ," Sasuke said, impatiently.

"Patience, _otouto_."

"I think I've been patient enough, Itachi. No more next times."

Itachi exhaled. "What do you want to know?"

Sasuke had so many things piled up in his mind, but he knew exactly where to begin. His brother was always one to keep secrets, only saying half of the truth when needed. A master manipulator. Sasuke knew Itachi didn't have any bad intentions; however, he was tired of being at the receiving end of his lies, at the mercy of the information only he could give. Sure, manipulation was something that came in very handy at work, and Sasuke took some notes on the regard. But this was family business, personal business. And if it could give Sasuke just a glimpse of what he was going through, maybe he could help him.

He said he was sick, that he had been sick for over a decade. Why didn't he say anything? Did their parents know? What else was he keeping from him?

"Why didn't you tell me you were sick?"

Itachi took a moment to assess the question. It was a simple one that had a complicated answer on his part. Dragging the chair away from the table, he took a seat. He decided to start with his intention. "I didn't want to cause worry. I, myself, am not sure about the severity of my illness."

Sasuke kept his breathing calm, but he was anything but. He didn't want to cause another uproar like he did the night before. He was getting what he asked for, so he wouldn't ruin it by letting his emotions control him again. "But you _have_ seen doctors?"

"The only one that could possibly solve this medical quandary, yes."

Naruto, who was silent until that point, placed the palms of his hands on the table, leaning over it slightly. "Is it that Senju woman? You're funding her research and came all the way here."

He was more perceptive than most people gave him credit for. Sasuke seemed to have the same idea since he nodded. "Yes, it's Doctor Senju."

"Does she know about the eyes?"

Sasuke felt his heart start to pound furiously. He was worried about his brother's wellbeing and those eyes made him feel incredible pain. And it was something that could potentially happen to him, as well.

Itachi studied his brother's features. He was more reserved than he thought he'd be after the episode the night prior. Perhaps he took the night to cool himself off. But he knew there was more to it. His reaction to the sight he witnessed last night was one of shock, that he had anticipated, but there was something else within its depths. Fear. Fear, and perhaps, morbid curiosity.

He had an inkling that his brother had begun experiencing the same symptoms he had when he realized the pathway within his body began forming. It would be less painful for his little brother, though, since he didn't have to bear the brunt of it at such a young age. But like Tsunade, he wouldn't undergo the pain the people of Maisō are going through. Neither he nor the esteemed doctor had the answer to why, though. It was as if their bodies were expecting the change and had created the necessary cells to deal with the heat that had erupted within their systems and created a network of channels to spread it all throughout their bodies.

"Yes, she knows."

"What is it, then? The eyes?" Naruto asked, lips in a line.

"That, we don't know."

The breath Sasuke wasn't aware he was holding dissipated into an exhale. They didn't know. For weeks, the sight of his own eyes changing had made him fear what it was, but it also gave him a want for answers as to what it was, exactly. It was painful, when it had happened to him, yes, but it wasn't close to how painful it looked on his brother.

"But we do know that it has something to do with a new pathway in my body."

Two pairs of eyes look up at him, startled as he casually stated the new bit of information.

"A new pathway?"

"Like the one for your blood?"

Itachi nodded. "It's taking its space directly above the bloodstream, but it doesn't interfere it."

"That isn't possible." Sasuke's voice was firm, truly believing his words. He's no doctor, but he remembered taking anatomy in high school. "Your body should be breaking down."

"And yet, I'm here."

"Is that what's wrong in Maisō?"

Naruto hadn't contributed much to the conversation, his mind playing the voice that he heard just a few hours ago on a constant loop. But he was listening to the conversation. "Is that why the place is so hot?"

Itachi focused on the blonde, his blue orbs deadset on his. The same determination that always gleamed in it was never more apparent than now. "Yes. The new pathway is essentially made up of heat from what the thermal scans had shown."

"And your body isn't on fire?"

"As you can clearly see, no."

"Then why are you okay, and they aren't?"

"Tsunade and I think that it may have something to do with our genes."

Sasuke glared at his brother. " _Our_ genes?"

Itachi let the new information sink in for a minute before he stood up, arms folded as he walked behind his brother's seat. "You remember old stories our grandparents used to tell us? That our family was capable of things inconceivable?"

"Those were old folk tales, Itachi," he said, despite his thoughts agreeing. They were told as children about stories of their family's past. As untrue as they sounded, with what was happening, he was beginning to think that they weren't so impossible.

"But you're giving them some thought, otouto." Itachi put a hand on his shoulder. "She herself had met a few people with the pathway, herself included, and she hadn't seen anything like my case."

Itachi's eyes bore into his own, searching for something. That's when Sasuke realized.

"You know." His voice was a growl escaping through clenched teeth.

Naruto narrowed his gaze, confused. "Know what?"

Sasuke stood abruptly, shaking Itachi's hand off of him as he turned to glare at his brother. "Why didn't you say anything?!"

For weeks, Sasuke had been trying to convince himself that whatever he saw looking back at him in the mirror was nothing, that it was his mind playing tricks on him. Itachi had known something was going on and said nothing. He told himself he wasn't going to get angry the way he did when he saw Itachi's red eyes, but he couldn't help it.

Naruto stood up, too, growing more concerned about his best friend as his palms fanned down. "Calm down, Sasuke."

"No, Naruto," Itachi told him. "It's fine."

"You've known, and you didn't even think to tell me anything?"

"Know what?" Naruto was confused.

"That Sasuke's getting the eyes, too."

Naruto's breath hitched. What? He knew Sasuke had been acting weird for weeks, but that was something he didn't expect. Then, he thought back to yesterday when Sasuke was frozen and stared into the horizon with his eyes as wide as they could possibly go. It was only for a moment, and he had seemed to come back to his senses right when Naruto asked him. He remembered the day they arrived at the cottage. He had experienced something similar. That vision of colorless destruction. The strained, breathless voices he had heard. The loud, threatening voice he heard last night.

Itachi was staring at him now, understanding.

Naruto decided to ask something that's been eating him up. "I've been having… weird dreams for years. Does that have anything to do with all of this?"

Sasuke's surprised to hear this but didn't show it. Naruto had been getting the dreams, too. Did he have the eyes? Itachi said he thought it was only in the family, but he wasn't certain.

"Usually I see Sasuke in them, or my…" Naruto swallowed, nervous. "Uncle Jiraiya, and a few with Sakura."

He raised a brow and cocked his head slightly. "Is that so?"

Naruto nodded in verification. "Do they mean anything? Do I have… whatever it is you got?"

Itachi walked back to the head of the table. "The people Tsunade, and herself, had encountered with the pathway did mention night terrors. I use ' _terrors'_ loosely because they all claim that once they wake up from it, they break into a cold sweat."

"So I have it?" Naruto's voice was low, unsure.

"The pathway, yes."

"And how do you know that? Don't you need some tests or something?"

"I can feel it, the heat from your bodies. I assume you two will be able to, as well."

Naruto slumped back into his seat.

"So are we gonna get sick like you are, or are you going to keep that information for yourself?" Sasuke said, snidely. His eyes were set on the table in front of him, his fingers gripping the back of the chair.

Itachi ignored the disrespectful tone in his brother's words and sighed. "No. Whatever I have is mine to deal with."

His brother snorted. "Deciding to deal with it alone?"

"Sasuke-"

"No, Itachi, listen." He brought his eyes to his brothers, anger and disappointment mixing within his irises. "You've been dealing with shit yourself for years. We lost mother and father, and you immediately took all of their responsibilities on you. To top it all off, you're sick, and you won't let me even _try_ to help you? Good intentions or not, you have to _tell_ me things! I don't care if you think it's for my own good, keeping me in the dark isn't going to lighten the weight on you. I'm sick and tired of the 'next times', Itachi. What if there won't be a next time!"

Sasuke's thoughts circled back to the dream he had weeks ago, of Itachi fading away, relaying his final secrets before disappearing completely. He didn't want that to turn into reality. Whatever that dream was about, he wasn't going to let it end the same way it did there. Itachi was still alive, and he was there, still keeping secrets, still keeping the burden to himself.

Naruto watched Sasuke, his chest heaving. He was right. Itachi loved to carry all of the burden, and he very rarely asked for help. If it were up to him, he would have carried the secret of his illness to the grave. It was the noble thing to do in Itachi's head, but it didn't mean it was right. He stood and walked to the spot beside Sasuke.

"He's right, Itachi! You gotta let people help you every now and then. We all know what it feels like to lose people important to us, and to Sasuke and I, you're the only one left. Just let us help you, 'ttebayo!"

Naruto stopped. He wanted to continue, but he was caught off guard by his own words. _'What the fuck is a ''ttebayo'?'_

Regardless of the unknown word uttered by the blonde, the Uchiha brothers continued their stare down with Itachi flicking his gaze from Naruto to Sasuke. Both were resolute, firmly standing on their feet.

When those two were determined, nothing much could stop them. Admittedly, Itachi was the type of person to keep the truth hidden, if only for other people's benefit. It was his mindset. Ever since their parents' passing, Itachi put it upon himself to make sure Sasuke had a stress free like. But Sasuke was determined to follow in his footsteps, and his life was far from stress free.

He should have known, though. Ever since they were little, his little brother always regarded him with admiration and respect. As they grew up, though he wasn't as vocal about it as he used to be, it remained. Naruto, on the other hand, was always one willing to help others. He had grown to be a part of their little family, especially after he lost his own. He didn't stand a chance when they decided to team up.

He wondered where the years had gone. From little boys to growing men with a maturity far older than their years, despite their childish tendencies. Sasuke had the habit of jumping to conclusions, and Naruto was almost too optimistic. You'd think it was a recipe for disaster, and in truth, it was, but they had turned it into something, an unstoppable force of two minds, that he believed was something spectacular.

Releasing a breath of acquiescence, he gave the two a tired smile, telling them that they have won him over. Naruto beamed, his toothy grin and bright eyed happiness brightening up the room. Sasuke looked as if he had calmed, his eyes closed as he gave a modest nod.

' _These two_ ,' Itachi thought as Naruto proceeded to wrap an arm around Sasuke's shoulders, celebrating the small feat of Itachi's acceptance as Sasuke looked at him with mild annoyance, a twitch in his eye. ' _I guess I never stood a chance.'_

Then, began, a frantic scratching sound that came from one of the nearby windows. All heads turned to search for the source. The scratching continued, and suddenly, the security system they had installed in the cottage began its incessant beeping. Itachi quickly walked to the tablet on the wall that controlled the system, his eyes on the bright pink head of hair, hands covering her ears as the noise outside began to increase in volume.

Naruto found the window and looked at the black cat with reddish-brown eyes using its claws on the window, leaving clear signs of its doing.

"Hey!" Naruto admonished the cat. "That isn't nice, little kitty."

He expected a meow back.

"Let me in, damn it!"

That was definitely not a meow.

Naruto looked at Sasuke to check if he wasn't the only one hearing it. "I'm not crazy right? That thing just talked?"

Sasuke didn't even get to answer, his slightly startled eyes focused on the cat as it replied. "An idiot, maybe, but not crazy! Let me and pinky in!"

Blue met onyx in surprise. "Pinky?"

Just then, the beeping stopped. The noisy alarm that warned them of an intruder going silent as Itachi put the tablet back on the wall. As he walked to the front door, he called out, "Open the window, Naruto."

"Sure, let the mysterious talking cat into the cottage," he mumbled, a little miffed that the cat called him an idiot. "It's not like black cats cause misfortune or anything."

Sasuke stared at the creature that jumped off the window pane and entered the room, his long tail high up, confident. He caught a glimpse of its eyes and realized that it was the cat that had appeared out of nowhere yesterday when he and Naruto were on the mountain top. The cat slowed its pace until it was just a few inches in front of Sasuke's feet.

"Nice to see you again, Uchiha-san."

"You know me?" Sasuke squatted down as he let the cat sniff his finger.

"Only that you're an Uchiha. You guys have that scent."

Naruto snickered. "Told you you should change your deodorant."

Sasuke scowled. "Shut up, that isn't what he meant, dobe."

The blonde squatted down, as well, his hand hovering over the cat's head. "You got a name, kitty?"

The cat sniffed his hand and stuck out its tongue. "Toma."

While the two got acquainted with the furry animal that apparently could speak, Itachi opened the front door to meet Sakura's worried green eyes.

"Hi, Uchiha-san. Sorry about that." She looked tense. It was still morning, and she looked like she had just trekked the entire mountain range. She had dirt on her tear stained face and little dark spots of soil on her arms. It's the blood that discolored the knees of her pants that caught him the most off guard.

It was a disorienting sight. When he had met the young woman, she looked to be ready for anything. Right now, she looked like she had been through a tough ordeal and needed rest.

"Come in," he said, signaling for her to enter. "You look like you've run through the entire forest."

He wasn't too far off. The driver dropped her off a little farther from their property, afraid of trespassing. He didn't fully believe that she knew them. So she ran after the cat that jumped off her arms and dashed to their destination only to have the alarms go off when she stepped foot on their property.

Once the beeping stopped, she found herself feeling three new heat signatures, all different in warmth. One complex, a cool heat. Another warm and inviting. The last raw, imperfect flares of heat that was mixed with chills that she could only describe as similar to hot ice. Three people. Three people that she had met. She couldn't dwell on the unexpected information, though.

Itachi opened the door and took in the sight she must be. It was a tough morning.

"Thank you," she said, her voice hoarse. After healing Toma, who introduced himself as she dashed after him, she felt her energy almost get sucked right out of her. She didn't know why though. She'd have to ask Tsunade about it later.

The place was smartly and sophisticatedly furnished. She admired its modern, woodsy feel for a brief moment. Letting her mind get distracted and stray from the ordeal she had been through. It didn't last long, though.

Following Itachi's lead, she spoke, "Do you have service? I need to call the police."

Itachi stopped and eyed the poor girl. Based on her appearance, she looked to have been hurt. "Someone hurt you?"

She shook her head. "Not me."

As they step foot into the dining room, three pairs of eyes took to them. Sasuke stood up, eyes on the girl's concerning appearance. Naruto was already up, but his face was that of concern.

"Sakura-chan!"

"What happened to you?"

"Now, boys," Itachi said. "Let's let her sit first. Naruto, get her a glass of water, please."

He nodded and quickly made his way to the fridge to take a pitcher of water out and grabbed a glass from the cabinet. Placing the glass onto the table, he poured the water down until it was almost full.

Sasuke found himself by her side, his hand on her shoulder as he eased her onto the chair. The small touch felt warm, as if it were a natural thing for their skin to meet. He felt heat rise in his ears. Can't let Naruto see that. Filing that thought away, he considered her. She was dirtied, exhausted from what he could hear from the shortness of her breath. What was she doing out there by herself?

He didn't know her that well, but something in him chastised him from thinking her incapable of being by herself, telling him that she could more than handle herself. He didn't know why though. Then he thought back to the recent revelations. His dreams, Itachi's explanation. He had mentioned Tsunade also had this new pathway, and she worked for her.

He studied her, his gaze unwavering even when her eyes met his and quickly turned away. He noticed her cheeks color themselves to the color of her hair. Then, he felt something. A little flicker, like a light at the end of the tunnel turning itself on and off. He saw Naruto's eyes go large as he stared at her, at him, at Itachi, at the cat. He felt it, too. And she wasn't the only one with it.

"What happened?"

* * *

Kakashi stared at his watch as the seconds ticked by. Back to the start after a minute, then it resumed again. An endless cycle, really.

Minutes turned to hours as he stared up at the ceiling, book forgotten on his lap, waiting for the time to pass. His bags were packed, and so were the bags he was asked to pack. He's not usually someone's errand dog but this was a different situation.

Alone in his bedroom, the man was waiting for noon to strike. Waiting for both hands to reach twelve, so he could get up and leave. He was told things were moving at an unpredictable pace, that they had to get all the answers they could. He didn't know how exactly, but everything was possible now that the impossible was proven not as it seemed.

Finally, the time had come, and he stood up, digging his phone out of his pocket and typed. He felt the cool touch of the screen on his ear as the ringing had continued until it stopped and a groggy voice replaced it.

"Professor Hatake?"

"You said you've been meaning to take a trip down to Maisō?"

Sighing exasperatedly, the man replied, "When?"

Kakashi stared outside his window, one hand still in his pocket as he viewed the bustling of the busy Tokyo streets. "Tonight."

"What a drag," was the last thing he heard before the call ended.

Taking one last look at the scene outside his window, he heard a faint whisper, one not of malice but of warning.

"It's time."

* * *

 **Notes:**

WHAT? AN UPDATE SO FAST?

I know. I'm shocked, too.

Things are being set in place and the first arc is four chapters away from ending. Can't wait until you guys see what I have planned.

I have also posted a new AU fanfic called Fade In! It's an actor/ fake dating au with SasuSaku of course because I'm what? Whipped. Check it out and leave me your thoughts in a review there if you liked it!

Leave your thoughts in a review and happy reading!


	9. (Genesis) Chapter Seven: Answers I

**Note:**

" talk " - The characters are speaking in Japanese.

 _" talk " -_ The characters are speaking English.

' _talk_ ' - The characters are thinking.

More notes at the end of the chapter.

* * *

This chapter is unedited. (8/11/19)

* * *

 **Eternal**

 **Part One: Genesis**

* * *

 **Chapter Seven**

 **Answers I**

* * *

Tsunade sat on the opposite end of the long table inside of the briefing tent just outside the anteroom of the site, eyes met with stoic, dull black ones. Looking at them was almost enough to anger her. With his greying hair and his fingers intertwined with each other atop the wood surface, she could feel the deep ego and self-importance radiating off of the older man. Trying not to scoff at it, she instead gave him the same look of disdain. She didn't want him anywhere near the area, but it couldn't be helped.

Ito Shimura, the ever-sharpening blade threatening to cut her throat at even the slightest display of weakness she might show, had graced them with his presence. As much as she detested the man, she had to keep her composure. She couldn't let anything give way, which meant that she might have to lie in order to keep her findings far from him.

"You have found nothing?" There was a challenge in his voice. She wasn't going to take the bait.

"Apart from what I'd just told you, we seem to have concluded that this is a possible, overwhelming signs leading up to spontaneous combustion."

She was obligated to show him her findings; however, she showed him what she wanted to show. The test results and patient scans in front of him were those of patients that had just begun showing signs of heat signatures within them. None of those that had signs of the pathway of heat forming within.

She didn't trust him. Not even a little. She was aware of his standing in the government, but she knew, somewhere deep down, this man should have as little knowledge about the situation as possible. She'd give him nothing if she could. She had to tread even more carefully now.

His expression didn't change. "Is that so?"

"From the heat building up in their bodies, some more than others, depending on the length of their comatose state, it's what appears to be happening."

His lack of reaction was beginning to irk the esteemed doctor, but from what she could see, he looked a little… disappointed. Why? She couldn't possibly know.

"You do not think that there could be more to the situation?"

"Do you?"

His eyes narrowed. "Seeing as you are the doctor, you should be answering my question. If you are as celebrated as people say you are, you should be giving me definite answers."

Tsunade gritted her teeth. He was getting on her nerves, but she wasn't about to give him the satisfaction of knowing he had irritated her. "And seeing as I am the medical professional, I'd have more experience and knowledge about the situation than a politician would."

He didn't reply. Instead, he continued glaring at her through narrowed eyes.

"This is a field in science, and like in every scientific field, answers need to be looked through thoroughly before confirmed. Less than three months of work is not nearly enough." She stood, hands behind her back, back straight. "I've briefed you on the situation. There is nothing else I have to notify you on."

"You are not the one to be closing a meeting." He stood, as well, the look of distaste still on his face. "Even if that is the case, I'm beginning to think you are not the right person to be handling this assignment."

"Excuse me?" Tsunade said through gritted teeth, her anger finally slipping through. How dare he insult her skills. "Assignment? Need I remind you that I started this mission before the government decided to butt in?"

"It involves people the government are over. It is our job to know." He folded his arms.

"People you're over?" She let out a disgusted laugh. "These people are people of Japan that pay tax money to the government for _you_ to help _them_! You've been here for hours, and you haven't asked a single question about patient safety and progress."

He had arrived mid-morning and it was about to be half-past noon. In the entirety of his visit, his questions consisted only about what was happening within the patients, and none about their actual wellbeing.

"Knowing what is occurring within them is important to make sure it will not occur to other Japanese citizens outside the quarantine."

"Bullshit." She said it before she could stop herself, and she couldn't care less if she did.

He was clearly as irritated at her as she was with him. Adjusting the collar of his suit, he turned to leave before stopping a few inches before the tent opening to speak. "You have seventy-two hours to clear the area of your doctors."

"What?!" Tsunade yelled, rage seeping through her teeth and flames in her eyes. "You cannot be serious! We need to do more tests!"

"Since you have not gotten me a proper conclusion, you are clearly unworthy of this task. I will have a replacement team come in after you leave."

"If you're making me pull out, my benefactors and workers go with me."

"As if I'd need them. I have my own resources. Seventy-two hours." With that, he exited the tent. She could hear his last words as he left. "And if you say anything to garner negative press against me, know that I will deal with you swiftly."

She stared at the now closed tent for a few moments, the flames of fury coursing through her veins. When she knew for sure he was far enough, she yelled out a curse and slammed her tightly closed fist down the table. The impact of her fist caused a ragged line through the middle of the long wooden surface. Out of balance, the two broken pieces of what once was a sturdy table fell sideways onto the ground. Splinters of wood pierced her skin, but she couldn't feel it.

All she could focus on was her anger.

That bastard had the gall to threaten her career and reputation. She wanted to scoff at it, make fun of it, even, but she knew he was serious. Whatever underground resources he had; he would use against any opposing force against him. And Tsunade couldn't risk anything, especially not with her emotions taking the best of her.

She'd need to notify her team first and foremost, but she had no idea what to say to them. She knew it was far from over. She had to figure something out and fast because if she didn't, knowledge she knew didn't belong to Shimura would be in his grasp.

* * *

Sakura stared at the empty glass of water on the table in front of her, hands rubbing her forehead. "It's been a rough few hours… days, actually."

"Judging from the state of your appearance, it looks to be so," Itachi replied, taking a seat across from her as Naruto sat next to him and Sasuke sat next to her.

He knew the two had felt something, and he was certain it was that knowing feeling of being able to sense the pathway within someone. He had to admit; things were beginning to unravel quickly. For years, it had to have been dormant within them, and yet, suddenly, it's as if someone had used a needle and stabbed an inflated balloon. He didn't know what it all meant, but he knew that things were about to get livelier and more complicated than it had been for years.

Sakura took a deep sigh and raised her head, emerald pools filled with a dissonance of emotions, all looking to be troubling the young woman. And yet, within them, you could see her strength. "I," she started. "assume you know about what Doctor Senju is here to research?"

Itachi gave a nod and urged her to continue. "I just recently found out that I have the pathway, as well as Doctor Senju's ability to heal."

This came as a shock to the younger men in the room. Naruto and Sasuke shared a look, both looking slightly confused. "Wait, first weird eyes and now healing?"

Pink brows raised. "Weird eyes?"

Itachi waved a hand in dismissal. "We will discuss that aspect later. Please continue, Sakura."

"When I went out to the river to take a breather, I ran into an old woman who seemed to know a lot about the pathway. She was Toma's owner."

"Was?" Sasuke parroted, looking at the black cat on the table, sitting in front of Naruto, as he looked down dejectedly.

"She called it chakra. I don't know how she knows what this is, but she seemed to know more than we do. She gave me this scroll saying it was passed down for generations and that it should be given to someone with my hair and eye color."

"That's oddly specific." Itachi leaned forward, elbow on the table surface and fingers rubbing his chin.

"I thought so, too, but she was adamant I have it. Now that I think about it, she had something hanging on her wall that looked a lot like your company logo."

"Oh?" Itachi's interest continued to grow.

Sakura nodded, then, like her seat lit on fire, she shot off of her chair. "Nekobaa! Please, a phone! I need to call the police."

Naruto, panicked at her sudden state of urgency, fumbled in his pocket for his cellphone. He took it out and offered it to her, and she quickly said her thanks. Looking at the phone screen, she narrowed her eyes. It appeared that the signal was out. Ignoring it, she dialed the emergency line but, as she had feared, the call didn't get through.

"Looks like the signal is out," her voice was soft, a tinge of irritation in it.

"What?" Sasuke took his phone out and looked at the 'x' mark on the signal bars.

Itachi did the same and had the same outcome. "That's odd, considering how close the phone lines are to the area."

"I need to call the police! When I went back to look for Nekobaa, I…" she trailed off, hands in fists.

Toma slowly walked to the middle of the table. "Someone killed Nekobaa." The cat sounded sad. "I was almost dead, too, if she hadn't shown up to heal me."

"And you were out there?" Sasuke looked at the knees of her jeans and saw the remnants of blood dried onto the fabric.

"I was going to ask her more questions since the scroll she gave me told me absolutely nothing," she let out a shaky sigh. "There's something going on in the site, too. Doctor Senju told me to leave for the day and when I went back to look for help, I saw Ito Shimura making his way in."

Naruto's teeth clenched. "Shimura? That old fake?" He had never agreed with any of the older man's policies and actions in his time in office. And he was quite sure he dealt with issues in a darker way than a politician should. He knows politics is a dirty road to success and most would do their worst to remain in power, which is why he felt so strongly that there should be change, and if no one would bring in that change, he decided he would try. Men like him were what motivated him to do better.

"He's the government official that is supervising the medical mission," Itachi stated. "But I do agree with your opinions of him, Naruto, which is one of the reasons why I decided to help fund the mission to help Tsunade go about things her way."

"Then is him being there a bad sign?"

Itachi nodded as he began to walk over to the farther end of the table. "Tsunade notified me that he'd be coming today. I imagine that because of my donation and of various other sponsors, he might try to stop the research since it is no longer going his way."

"What?!" Sakura exclaimed. "What about all of the patients? All of the work we've done?"

"Ito Shimura is known to play dirty. The public may just be beginning to see it, but people behind the scenes have known for years. I suspect he's looking to replace the current team and use whatever means necessary to keep the current doctors' mouths shut. Blackmail, bribery, who knows what else."

The myriad of strong emotions bombarded Sakura's already exhausted mind; her body couldn't keep up. After the events that she had witnessed and experienced that morning alone, her system could no longer handle so much information being thrown at her, elevating her stress when she was already so tired. And there was the fact that something was growing within her, taking up a lot of her energy to accommodate the alien pathway. She felt her knees buckle, and she grabbed onto the edge of the table to try and steady herself. Sasuke caught her, a hand on her shoulder and another on her waist. She felt the warmth of his hands through her clothes and thought that if she weren't so drained, she would've flushed at his touch. Instead, she tried to breathe as calmly as she could.

Itachi looked at the weakened state of the young woman. "Sasuke, bring her to the guest room. She's been through a lot today. I'm surprised she hadn't fainted after all that."

Sakura wanted to protest, but the look the older Uchiha gave her made her stop. "Rest. I will try to inform Tsunade however I can with the signal gone. You need a few moments to yourself after everything you've seen and done today, especially considering that the pathway is still growing within you." With the scans Tsunade had shown him, her pathway had yet to be fully done, the missing mark on her forehead being the sign of its incompletion. "Toma can fill us in, if he'd like."

The cat nodded and then turned to look at Sakura. "Take a cat nap, pinky."

Sakura sighed, relenting. Sasuke looked at her and asked, "Can you walk?"

She pursed her lips. "My legs won't listen to me," her voice was beginning to become fainter. She _was_ tired.

Then, she felt her body be lifted, her hands quickly finding something to hold on to. She felt a hand at the back of her knees and another on her back. She realized Sasuke was going to carry her to the guest room. Unable to stop herself, the flush began showing its traces on her paled cheeks as she tried her hardest to look at anything but his face. She caught a glimpse of the tip of his left ear, though, and saw what could have been a red tint escaping through the hard shell of stoicism she thought him to have.

Sasuke didn't look at her as he carried her over to the nearest guest room. He didn't know exactly why he just did what he did, but it was instinctual, like he had done it before, when he was so sure he hadn't.

Things have shifted and more questions needed to be answered. He suspected that things would only get more chaotic from then on. The pathway, the eyes, the healing, and the strange grainy vision he had gotten on the mountaintop, they all muddled his brain, twisting everything he had ever known to be questioned.

Naruto, Itachi, and Toma stayed in the room as the two left. Itachi stared at the wall, eyes filled with concern and focus as he thought about what to do next. He'd have to find a way to get Tsunade to the cottage but calling and e-mail was out of the equation for now. He looked at Toma. "Do you still have enough energy in you?"

The cat nodded. "Pinky patched me up pretty well. But I guess she used too much of her chakra since she can't even walk right now. She seems to have a good amount of it, though. Don't know why it tired her out so fast."

"We'll talk about this ' _chakra_ ,' later. I need to ask a favor of you. Do you know where the medical site is?" When the cat confirmed he did, Itachi continued. "Find Tsunade Senju and tell her to come here later tonight. She has a diamond mark on her forehead."

"What if she doesn't believe a talking cat? Because ya gotta admit, it's a scare for ya humans once ya hear me."

"I'll write a note and attach it to you. Can you carry it?"

"You can tie it around a string and tie it on my tail. I'll be fine with that."

Itachi made a sound of agreement and left for his bedroom. Toma followed him. Before they reached it though, Itachi halted abruptly, making the small cat collide with the back of his leg.

"Hey!"

"I apologize," Itachi said, turning his head. "Sakura mentioned something about her family working with the Uchiha?"

"Nekobaa told us her family used to work with yours before y'all left for the city. Never told any of us the exact time when though." Toma stretched, his front paws out in front of him. "Come to think of it, she never really mentioned it until the city doctors started pouring in."

The older Uchiha nodded, deep in thought. There would be more time to delve into that topic of discussion later. At the moment, however, there were more urgent things to be dealt with. He resumed his walk to their room of destination with Toma at his heels.

Naruto was about to follow them, but a harsh, pulsing pain began invading his senses, starting from his stomach, spreading throughout his entire body until it enveloped his mind. It was as if a dark cloud had swallowed him whole, starting from his feet and making its way up to cover his vision and enter his lungs, making it hard to breathe. He felt himself grip onto the wooden edge surface of the mostly glass table, his knees meeting the floor as he felt his lungs constrict, air desperately wanting to enter his system.

His sight blurred. The room colored with different tones of wood and tasteful paintings, with light shining through the glass windows of the nearby wall, suddenly turned to ash as an unexpected wind breezed through the room, leaving nothing but black in its wake.

Naruto clutched his chest, the heat enveloping him until he felt like his entire body was engulfed in a wildfire, burning through his skin, piercing into his very soul. He didn't smell anything. He couldn't hear anything. He couldn't see anything. But he could _feel_.

"Open your eyes."

There it was. The growling voice he had heard the night prior.

And just like that the pain dulled. He loosened his grip on chest, his fingers easing their grip on his shirt, leaving it wrinkled. The ground beneath him was no longer darkness, but a pool of liquid. This startled the young man. "What the f-"

"Not exactly the greeting I wanted after not seeing you for millennia, Naruto!" The loud, intimidating voice sounded offended.

Naruto trailed his eyes up, from the pool of liquid into what looked to be a giant claw that was part of a huge paw with red fur. He yelped at the frightening sight. He tried to move back but the wetness of the liquid made him slip, leaving him stumbling backwards and falling onto his behind. "Ouch!"

A guttural laughter then emitted from the unknown creature eliciting a yelp from the scared young man. "Some things never change."

"What?" While rubbing his aching butt, his eyes had managed to rise up and meet eye to eye with the creature that had frightened him. It was then that his eyes seemed to have bulged out of its sockets. "Y-y… I-… What-!"

A giant creature, with fur the color of the glow that came from an ember and black accenting through it. Its ears, long and large, stretched high above its head. Teeth were bared, showing sharp ones the were even bigger than half his entire body. Its eyes were an even deeper shade of red, but from what he could see, showed no sign of aggression. This humongous, terrifying creature didn't want to eat him, it seemed.

"I wait for so damn long and this is how you greet me? You have any idea how long I've been screaming at you ever since you were born into this life."

"Screa… What are you talking about, giant rat?"

A paw was raised and quickly met with the water on the floor, causing large ripples and waves. "You just call me a rat, kid? I'm a fucking fox!" The red fox sighed. "You'd think growing up differently would make you change even a little, but you're still you. At least the you when you were in your younger years."

Naruto stood, wiping at his wet clothes to no avail. "You gotta stop talking in riddles, ' _ttebayo_." The blond slapped his hand onto his forehead. "Why am I saying gibberish?"

"You're asking yourself that now?" Another cackle. "Anyway, finally, I can talk to you."

"Can we start from the beginning?"

The fox nodded. "As I was saying, I've been sitting here waiting for you to finally be able to speak to me again. Looks like your body has finally allowed the chakra to awaken."

"Chakra! The cat was just talking about that!" Naruto snapped his fingers. "What is it?"

"A form of energy. Damn, do I really need to reteach this to you?"

"I don't think we've ever met, Mr. Fox."

"It's Kurama."

"Okay, then. Kurama, I'm Naruto!" Kurama… That name felt nostalgic to him, somehow. As if he'd uttered the name countless times before, and yet, he was sure he'd remember meeting a giant red fox that lived in his mind. Naruto closed his eyes, his finger on his chin as he thought about the possibility of him needing to go to a place for the delusions he'd been having.

"Chakra's essential to a ninja, essential to even the most basic jutsu."

"Ninja?" Naruto parroted, skeptical. Maybe he did need to go get help.

"Look, we don't have to time for needless banter right now, boy! Your body still isn't used to this, so I'd have to make this quick."

Kurama took a step forward, lowering his head to meet Naruto's eyes, the bottom of his head getting wet. "Things are about to go apeshit, boy, so you better get ready. Once your body and your mind start remembering, you'll be seeing a lot more of me. Just remember that everything you know in this life is about to change, and you're going to have to step up to the task."

Naruto's brows furrowed, confused.

"Every ally of yours that has chakra is essential to help overcome what's coming next. Once your mind remembers everything, all will be made clear. I can't give you an entire seven hundred chapters of your life to explain everything in this small pocket of time we have but know that every ally you have now and the ones that are to come are crucial to you succeeding."

Naruto's mind was a clutter. He was used to Itachi's vagueness, but this just felt like a whole new level. Before he could speak, the water beneath his feet that soaked up until his ankle seemed to have dried and the red fox in front of him disappeared. The endlessly black surroundings began to light up, chasing away the darkness and filling it with familiar colors. With a blink, he was back in the dining room, his clothes dry, but the memory still fresh.

 _'This entire chakra thing is definitely shaping up to some problem we have to face, but what did he mean by 'every ally,' dattebayo?!'_ He shook his head while both his hands were in his hair, rubbing frantically and causing his hair to look like a mess.

* * *

Tsunade lowered her head onto the table in her small hut, her eyelids shut tight in aggravation. She had just informed the staff of what had occurred during her meeting with Shimura and telling them certainly was far from easy. The disappointment in their eyes, the way their bodies slumped in sadness. Some were angry, of course. Villanueva was one of them, but she knew they had no choice. Most of them were aware of Shimura's standing with the public, but they had no idea just how far his shadiness goes. Hell, even Tsunade didn't. And as if the universe was agreeing with the chaos going on in her mind and in the site, a small fire had occurred just a few miles away from the site.

As of that moment, everyone was beginning to pack their things, and some would be leaving tomorrow. She'd stay until the last minute to have a look at the replacement team, even though it would make her even angrier than she already was.

There had to be something she could do. She was Tsunade goddamn Senju, and she couldn't just leave these patients to people she didn't trust. She'd have to speak to Itachi, but with the phone lines down, she couldn't even notify him.

She found it extremely suspicious that they were down to begin with. The area had no problem with calling, texting, or the internet the entirety of her stay there, and yet, just today it's down. It was way too much of a coincidence.

Feeling a small amount of heat come closer to her tent, Tsunade let an eye open. She heard the rustle of the tent opening as the small amount she expected to get warmer stayed the same.

"Down here!" A high pitched male voice penetrated her ears as she opened her eyes and lifted her head. She looked around her and eventually found a small black cat on the ground next to her chair. She stood up in alarm.

"What in-"

"Yeah, I get it! I'm a talking cat! Blah, blah, blah!" The cat's tail wagged frantically. Tsunade looked at it and saw a small piece of paper wrapped and tied onto it with string. "Uchiha wanted me to give this to ya."

The doctor found it extremely odd that Itachi had a talking cat and said absolutely nothing about it, but she was curious about the note. The cat jumped up onto the table and wagged its tail at her. Reaching for the string, Tsunade untied the note from its tail and unfolded it.

 _Come to the Uchiha cottage at 6. New important information has come to my attention. Sakura is here, as well, and in need of a change of clothes._

\- _Itachi Uchiha._

Sakura? Is that where she'd been all day? Her mind filled with thoughts on how she ended up at the cottage when she had the option to leave the area for the day. Then, she remembered how weird she had acted when she caught her heading out so early in the morning. She obviously had plans to go somewhere, but where? Was it the Uchiha cottage? If so, she'd doubt Sakura would've been so secretive about it. She read the brief note once more and glanced at the cat patiently waiting for her to finish. Sighing, she rubbed her temples after she placed the note on the table. The day was shaping up to be one of the most stressful she'd ever had.

* * *

Sakura awoke in a room lit only by the light emanating from the windows. Taking in her surroundings, she remembered where she was and the events that led up to that point. She looked at her phone on the bedside table and reached for it. Still no signal.

She sighed as she removed the blanket shielding her from the cold and let her bare feet meet the wooden floors. The room was simply decorated. A medium sized bed with plain white covers. Bedside tables on the opposite ends, a dark wood. A closed closet the same color. Two paintings on two different walls, one of which showed a beautiful autumn landscape with red leaved covering the dirt path onto a world of soft amber and browns as the earth began to accommodate the chilling weather, the other the view of the world below from a towering mountain with sprawling trees and vibrant green leaves the looked to glisten as the sun's rays smiled upon the earth.

While both were incredibly beautiful, her mind could not dwell on them. They kept replaying the scene she had walked into earlier that day. The stench of blood seizing her senses, the unimaginable horror she felt seeing the unholy act done by strangers to an innocent old lady and her beloved animal companions, the helplessness that made her fall to her knees as she realized there was nothing to be done to help lives already lost.

Then, a spark of light. A small flare of heat that told her she could save one life, just one, even small. She took that chance, and her hands did what should be impossible. She stared at her small hands, her palms open on her lap. As small as they were, they held power. She wasn't certain if that was a good thing or not, but if those hands were capable of saving people, perhaps they were.

Her mind began to wander. What if the people who had done such evil in the forest had the same power? The thought was frightening. But seeing as the situation had become all the more unbelievable, she knew it wasn't far off. Could she be able to help stop whatever's coming?

Sakura eyed the small bag that she had placed onto the same bedside table she did her phone and picked it up, putting the strap over her head onto her shoulder. She stood up, stretching her arms up to battle the soreness she felt, and made her way out of the door, her quiet footsteps the only thing she heard.

The hallway was empty as she walked through it, eyeing the paintings on the walls. They were odd. She hadn't noticed them as she was escorted to the room, too tired to focus on anything. Small framed paintings of various symbols: three black commas in a swirl surrounding a black dot in the middle, the Uchiha symbol, the same one she saw in Nekobaa's home with red being the color on top instead of white whereas the Uchiha Corp. logo showed the opposite, a black and white inked painting of a snake and a crow, another of a hawk and a slug. Perhaps the strangest of all was a single symbol in the middle of an uncolored backdrop of trees. It vaguely resembled a leaf.

As the hallway ended and a large living room met her eyes, she stopped and felt a flare of heat just past the glass door onto what she surmised was a balcony. It was the familiar raw, chilling heat that she felt when he helped her up the stairs to the guest room.

Sasuke.

Walking through the door, she saw him. His eyes focused on the sight in front of him, his elbows on the railing, his forearms crossed with one hand holding a glass. She knew he was aware of her presence.

"Thanks for earlier."

He nodded, his sight remaining at what lied beyond the railings.

Walking to stand a small distance beside him, she looked at the same direction. She wanted to say something, but she didn't know where to start.

"Feeling better?" To her surprise, he broke the short silence between them.

"Yeah." She doubted anybody could say they were totally fine after what she had witnessed that day. Still, she plastered a smile on her face.

He turned to look at her, finally breaking his gaze from the scenery. He eyed her expression and his eyes narrowed. He wasn't buying it.

She sighed. "I'm better than when I got here, but… yeah." She trailed off, not knowing what to say.

He nodded.

"So," she started, not wanting to go back to silence. "Itachi's the benefactor, huh?"

"Yes."

"I understand him wanting to come here, but did you two really need to come?"

"You know Naruto wanted to come here for a hike."

She raised a brow in question. "And did you want to come?"

"It's difficult not to be dragged into his messes."

She let out a short laugh. "You say it like you didn't want to come."

It was his turn to raise a brow. "Who said I did?"

"Just a gut feeling," Sakura said with a small smile.

That phrase again. She had said the same to him when they had landed from the helicopter ride to the mountain range. It felt more than just a casual way of saying "You seem like the type." It didn't help that she'd appeared in his dreams way before they had actually met.

"You've known me a week."

His words made her eyes go wide. Did she offend him? She frowned. That definitely wasn't her intention. Needless to say, she remained quiet after that. She didn't exactly know why she felt so close to him and Naruto already, but that feeling was there. Her dreams made it seem like they had known each other forever, and in a way, she did. They appeared often, their faces and their voices ingrained in her mind. Though Naruto was still the bright guy, there was something so different about the Sasuke in her dreams.

She didn't usually recall her dreams so vividly, but two separate ones come to mind. One where the moon was high above the sky. The wind was cold. Her cheeks stained with tears as she felt the overwhelming emotions of whatever she spoke to his back. She can't recall what she was pleading to him, but she remembers the ache in her heart that made it feel like it could burst at any second.

Then there was one more recent, where she stared up at him, nothing but his name escaped her lips as she watched the emptiness in his eyes shielding any sort of emotions from breaking through. It was just as painful seeing that.

Him, right next to her, gave a different feeling. Like he had frustrations hiding behind his stoicism. She couldn't blame him. She'd been frustrated, too, being bombarded with so much new information and having to see what she had all in a few days time was taking a toll on her.

He studied her for a moment, wondering if he may have come off harsh. He spoke before he could think. It just felt natural to speak to her about anything. Perhaps he misjudged the situation. Yet, she looked to be thinking hard about something. He'd noticed a tremor in her hands when they used to be steady, the glaze of terror in her usually clear eyes.

Before either of them could speak, Naruto walked through the door with a loud yawn, a small green backpack in hand as he stretched his arms forward, easing the ache he had gotten from his short sleep.

"That was a great nap!" He exclaimed, as he stretched his arms forward, his blue irises covered by his lids. As he opened one eye, he spotted the two in the corner of the railings. "Hey! You feeling any better, Sakura-chan?"

"Yeah, I didn't realize just how much I needed that."

Naruto walked and filled the space between Sasuke and Sakura. "Really? You looked like you needed it when you got here. Your hair was all over the place, it looked like snot was coming out of your nose-"

Sakura made a face showing her obvious annoyance as Sasuke placed his palm on his forehead at his best friend's choice of words. Naruto saw them, flushed in embarrassment, and quickly tried to make amends. "I- I mean, you just looked so tired, and after all that," he stuttered. "Oh, wait!"

Naruto handed her the backpack he was holding. "These are for you."

She took it and began to unzip it. Familiar colors and fabric met her eyes. "Clothes?"

"Yeah! Grandma doctor got here a few minutes ago and told me to hand these to you while her and Itachi talk."

"Lady Tsunade's here?"

Sasuke looked at her quizzically. " _'Lady'_ Tsunade?"

She blushed in embarrassment. "I've been having weird dreams. I guess, some of it's making me go crazy," she said laughing it off, although he could see there was more to it than that.

"Dreams?" Naruto parroted. He looked alarmed and intrigued.

The Uchiha, too, stared at the young woman in interest. He didn't want to jump to conclusions as he so often did, but with Naruto's reaction and Sakura's behavior, maybe he wasn't going crazy and something was going on apart from all of this 'chakra' business.

Sakura didn't understand the two's reactions. She wanted to say something, but she remembered the bag in her hands and Naruto's not so subtle way of telling her she looked awful, so she opted to remedy that. "I'm gonna go take a shower. Where's the nearest bathroom?"

"Down the hall, to your left," Sasuke replied. "You should head downstairs afterwards. Itachi and Tsunade want to talk to you."

Sakura nodded and left the balcony area, leaving Sasuke and Naruto alone.

A breeze had arrived to cool them down, which was welcomed in the heat of the area. Naruto breathed in the scent of nature, closing his eyes to fully experience it. Opening them, he glanced at Sasuke. "Hey, Sasuke."

"Hm?"

"That thing about the dreams. I've told you and Itachi I've had weird ones, too. You think…" He trailed off, but Sasuke understood.

"I've had them, as well."

The blond looked at him in surprise. "You have?"

He nodded. "For a while now. Itachi, you, and Sakura seem to be there quite often. And someone else…" The girl who called him father.

Naruto sighed in aggravation. "I feel like we got sucked into some weird fantasy show. What the hell is going on? I get weird dreams, some weird magic pathway thing, a giant red rat- fox starts talking to me in my head."

"That last one might be the ramen before going to sleep."

"I'm serious, _teme_! I took a nap because talking to it took up all my energy, or chakra, or whatever it's called. It said something about every ally being important or something."

"Ally?"

"You know something's about to go down. The dreams, the eyes, that Shimura bastard showing up to close the medical mission. Something's up."

"I know that." Sasuke began to walk towards the door back inside. "Before we jump into anything, we need to know more. We can't go into whatever's happening completely blind."

"Gah, don't you think I know that?" As Naruto began to follow Sasuke back inside, his eyes caught to people from a distance walking up into the premises, one with a very familiar shade of grey on his head, and felt the now not startling yet odd flare of energy. "What's Kakashi-sensei doing here?"

* * *

"That fire must've been Shimura covering his ass. No one knew that old lady actually lived so close. They all assumed she was a patient's relative that flew in or something." Tsunade gulped down a shot of sake and slammed the small glass onto the table, a crack forming under her wrist.

Itachi noticed this and looked at her incredulously.

"Don't give me that look, Uchiha. It's been a shitty day. You can buy more fucking tables." She grumbled as she refilled her glass. "Still, I can't believe Sakura had to see all that."

"She's more resilient than I thought she'd be, but outward appearances can lie."

"Damn straight. That girl's incredibly smart for her age, and skilled, too. Add the healing, and she could even be better than me in a few years." Staring at her glass, she sighed. "But seeing something as gruesome as a murder scene changes you."

"Everything around her is changing. Everything around them, all of us, is changing. It won't be too long until the three of them gang up and come down here demanding more answers."

"You've kept your little brother and that blond loudmouth sheltered for too long. They were bound to do that."

"With Sasuke, yes, that is due to my withholding information, but regarding Naruto, I'd say Jiraiya had a part in it."

Tsunade made a sound of irritation as the hold on her glass tightened. "That Jiraiya."

Itachi knew of Jiraiya and Tsunade's relationship. Jiraiya had loved the doctor for years, but she hadn't felt the same for him. The two were always close friends, though. She knew he hid things from her, answers to questions she'd asked all her life, but it was too late to ask him now.

His death came as a surprise. A stroke. He was completely healthy. Had a check-up a few weeks before and everything was fine. Yet, one day at work, he fell and never got up. Another death that shook the small circle Itachi surrounded himself in. His parents. Naruto's parents. Jiraiya. He had no absolute proof, but he knew it was all connected somehow. With the revelation of Naruto's dreams, and the knowledge he'd had on Tsunade's and his own, a theory was brewing in his mind. Of course, they all seemed farfetched; however, he deemed nothing was truly impossible, all things considered.

"I sense someone coming to the front door." Toma announced as he walked in from the back.

"I will never get used to that." Tsunade stared at Toma, her eyes looking a little heavy from the alcohol.

Toma huffed.

Itachi walked to the front door, not worried about the alarms since he had them off the before Tsunade had arrived. Before whoever was behind it could knock, Itachi opened the door.

"You're late, as per usual," Itachi said as he motioned for the two people to enter.

"Can't break tradition." A man with light grey hair, almost white entered the cottage, let the other guest enter before him and closed the door behind him. Despite his hair color, he was not as old as his hair suggested and had had the color since his birth.

Kakashi Hatake. Itachi had met him years ago during an event for the company. The man was interesting to say the least. With a mask always covering the lower half of his face and a penchant for tardiness, he was a man of secrets, not unlike Itachi himself. Though Itachi was as well-informed as he could be about this pathway phenomena, Kakashi seemed to know more about some things.

Itachi found out that Kakashi had the pathway, too, when he had felt it within him. Kakashi did so, as well, and the two had seemingly teamed up, as well as with Tsunade, to gather what they can.

"Itachi, this is Shikamaru Nara."

The young man nodded in greeting. "He dragged me all the way here about this pathway business?"

"Yes. You attended one of his classes?"

"Yeah, the one where he showed up ten minutes before the class was scheduled to end. I was only there because I fell asleep on the desk."

"I knew he had the pathway and contacted him about it. He said something about shadows while he was snoozing in class that caught my attention."

The three walked into the dining room where Tsunade had been sitting and find that Naruto and Sasuke had taken their seats. Naruto leapt out of his and pointed at the youngest of the three and to Kakashi. "Shikamaru?! Kakashi-sensei?!"

Shikamaru groaned. "Really? Naruto's here?"

"You two know each other?" Itachi asked as he took a seat. Kakashi opted to lean against the wall instead of sit down, seeing as he had been seated from the car ride to the heliport to the helicopter to the Hidaka mountains to the car ride to the cottage.

"We took a class together. The loudmouth wouldn't shut up about being prime minister."

Itachi chuckled. "Sounds just like him."

"You all laugh now, but just you wait."

"Where's Sakura?"

"She's freshening up. She wanted to take a shower after everything."

"What happened while we were getting here?" Kakashi asked. "Signal seems to be down, so I had no way of contact."

Before any of them could fill the newcomers in, Sakura entered, hair still wet from her shower, so she covered it with a white towel that laid on her head. Gone were her bloodstained jeans and shirt stained with sweat, replaced with clean jeans and a plain red shirt. She had her sling bag on her and held onto the strap with one hand as she stopped, surprised to see the new guests.

"How you holding up, kid?" Tsunade spoke, concern slipping through her words.

Sakura looked down. "I'm… getting there."

"Glad you're feeling better, at least." Itachi motioned for her to sit down.

Sakura walked to seat between Sasuke and Tsunade, and right as she sat down, Toma appeared from under the table and jumped onto her lap. "Glad you're okay, pinky."

She gave him a restrained smile. "Thanks, Toma."

Shikamaru gave the cat a weird look. "That cat speaks?"

"Yes. Problem?" Toma answered, his words a challenge.

"Let's get straight to business, shall we?" The older Uchiha interrupted before they'd get too off track.

Tsunade stood. "Shimura has ordered that we cease operations in Maisō," she tells Sakura.

This startles the pinkette. "What?! But the patients-"

"He has hired a team of his own to take over. The current team has been ordered to leave within three days. Including me."

"Wait, Doctor Senju, you started this whole medical mission, how could he-"

"He's a dirty politician that managed to place himself as the research's government supervisor. We have no choice in the matter."

Sakura was crushed. All the hard work. All the potential ways they could have helped. Suddenly, a frightening thought crossed her mind. "Wait, but does that mean he _knows_?"

"All signs lead to yes. My meetings with him makes me certain he has it."

"But," Kakashi spoke. "From my encounters with him, I know he doesn't have much. Not as much as Tsunade, Itachi, and I."

"Which means he wants more." Sasuke leaned forward with his fingers intertwined in front of him, his elbows on the table.

"It's not unusual for him to, but there's something else he's doing that's caught my attention."

"Elaborate, Kakashi." Itachi folded his arms.

"He's been meeting with a crime lord that has exponentially more chakra than he does. Something tells me he isn't aware of him possessing it since his pathway is so weak and most likely cannot sense when one does."

"Explains why he's so power hungry," Naruto muttered.

"This crime lord is relatively new and just popped up a few years ago. He calls himself Kaiju."

" _Strange beast,_ " Shikamaru scoffed. "A little on the nose with that one."

"Wait, I'd seen Ito Shimura in passing while I was in Tokyo."

"You had?" Tsunade looked at her disciple in a mixture of shock and something Sakura thought to be mild anger at not informing her of this.

"I didn't speak to him! He didn't see me, either. But he was walking into Senju HQ with, like, a football team of men in black. I thought it was just because he was a paranoid politician, but…"

"Most likely, they were Kaiju's men." Kakashi stood up straight, leaving the wall he leaned on, and walked to the head of the table. "Have you had any word from HQ, Tsunade?"

"A few days ago. No one mentioned this to me," she grumbled, her irritation evident. "I swear, if there's a rat in my own building-"

"They'll be dealt with accordingly," Itachi stopped her before she got too rowdy.

"How do you know all this, Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto looked suspicious.

Kakashi seemed to be smiling from underneath his mask. "Teaching and writing are only my day jobs."

"Why does that not make me feel any better." Naruto felt a chill on his spine.

"If he does have someone within the Senju building, to show up himself means they couldn't find anything, so they had to sniff out some information you weren't feeding him."

Tsunade sighed at the man's answer. "Guess it was a good idea to have Sakura pick up the results, then. Thankfully, I stationed the private server elsewhere, so the scans that weren't picked up physically are still safe. Only a select few have access to them."

"Where is it, then?"

"Uchiha Corp.'s main building." Itachi answered.

"What?" Sasuke gave his brother a look of disbelief.

"Do not worry, _otouto_. Everything's secure. It's much harder for him to try and get information from people he isn't affiliated with."

"You're willing to count on him not resorting to do anything to the company?"

"He will not. Not at this moment. He still doesn't know we're involved, and until he gets information that we are, we're safe for the time being."

Sasuke didn't expect this from his brother. He was almost certain he would always put the company first, but he did realize at that moment, that this chakra phenomenon was incredibly important to sort out. And with his affiliation with Kakashi, who claimed that he had other jobs apart from what we know, made Sasuke think of what else his brother had been up to. Itachi wasn't a man to stoop as low as Shimura in order to gain power. But it wasn't beneath him to do just as much as protection rather than an ego boost. His brother had many secrets, and those secrets may end him.

Speaking of which, one question that had been burning in his mind that had erupted into a large forest fire within him after Naruto mentioned in in the balcony was begging to be answered.

"About the dreams…"

All eyes were on the younger Uchiha.

"Naruto had mentioned it to Itachi yesterday, but…" Sasuke looked at Naruto to continue.

He nodded, understanding what he meant. "I'd been having these weird dreams since I was a kid. Having weird powers, fighting a bunch of people, and being friends with people I never met before. Sasuke, Itachi, Uncle Jiraiya were in it a lot. Kakashi-sensei and Sakura-chan, too."

Sakura felt her heart stop. She wasn't the only one? Is that why he and Sasuke had looked at her that way in the balcony? And why their first meeting at the café felt strangely nostalgic?

"And recently, when we first got here, I had this weird vision or something. It was all foggy, but I do remember it being physically painful. Then just earlier, this giant red fox started talking to me in my head."

Sasuke and Sakura stared at Naruto. His description of a foggy vision all too familiar to what each had experienced on the mountaintop and by the river, respectively. They didn't interrupt, though, wanting to hear what he had to say before adding their own experiences.

Shikamaru looked at everyone in confusion. "Does he need help?"

"Let's listen to what he has to say," Itachi replied. "After everything we've witnessed, I do not think we can rule anything out as too outrageous just yet."

"I'm serious!" Naruto slammed his palms onto the table as he stood. "It was all weird. He said something about not seeing me for a long time, something about every ally being important. Also, he said that chakra was needed for _ninjas_ , which I don't know how legit that is, but he said it."

"Ninja?"

"After what he told me, I felt way too tired and took a nap. It was like that conversation took all my energy."

"Ya still don't have all of your chakra, so that's why ya felt so tired." Toma jumped from Sakura's lap onto the table. "It's the same reason why Pinky was so exhausted after healing me. Nekobaa didn't have a lot of chakra either, so she rarely used it because it'd make her so tired. Fishcake, Pinky, Saucy, and Pineapple still have your pathway's growing and not up to full capacity yet either." Tsunade had mentioned Sakura's scans earlier when she was debriefing the newcomers.

Ignoring the nicknames, Sasuke leaned back onto his chair. "And how would we know when the pathway is done forming?"

"Oh, you'll know. Right now, you're just getting glimpses of what you're capable of."

"Then, by any chance, do you know anything about the eyes?"

The cat shook its head. "I'd heard some stories about weird eyes from Nekobaa, but she did mention that the Uchiha used to be quite a big deal in Maisō, way before Maisō was called what it is today. Speaking of which, Pinky, you got the scroll?"

Sakura opened her bag and laid the scroll out onto the table. Just like the night before, nothing but one sentence was on it.

 _Only those with the eyes can see._

"Really?! After all Nekobaa did to hide this thing, that's it?" Toma exclaimed.

"I went online last night looking for any small bit of information about what this could possibly mean, but all I found was an outdated, lazily written blog by some guy named Nara."

"Nara?" Kakashi eyed the young man who had arrived with him. "That you, Shikamaru? You're the only Nara I know with any type of interest in Maisō."

The tired looking man groaned. "I did that for a school project years ago. I thought I deleted that garbage."

Pink brows raised, Sakura spoke, "You? You turned in something so lazily written?"

"Not out of character, actually," Kakashi stated, a finger on his temple as he shook his head.

"I didn't really know what else to write about." He shrugged. "But it is true that my grandparents used to tell me all these stories about Maisō. Seeing as the scroll mentioned specific eyes, it could be possible that the eyes it's referring to is the copy wheel eye."

"Copy wheel eye?" Naruto placed his thumb on his chin. "The hell is that?"

Ignoring Naruto, Shikamaru continued. "They always told me that it was something passed down by a specific family, though."

Sasuke and Itachi shared a look that didn't go unnoticed by Tsunade. She had examined Itachi when he was younger, first experiencing the red eyes he had gotten out of seemingly nowhere. And he had mentioned his brother telling him of him having a similar experience lately. It was their best bet, and she was never afraid to gamble.

"Did they mention what the eyes looked like, in any way?" Itachi asked, leaving Sasuke's warning glare.

"Itachi." Sasuke said, worry and anger laced in the way he spoke his brother's name.

Shikamaru eyed the brother's suspiciously. "Red. Mostly red eyes."

"I see."

" _Aniki_ , you're-"

Itachi stood. "I'll be fine, Sasuke. If this works or not, this'll help in our understanding of my condition, as well as what's really going on with our bodies."

"I'm here, too, kid. If he strains himself, I can heal him. He isn't too far gone that one more usage can kill him, but I do warn you, Itachi, to not overdo it." Tsunade adds, hopefully to ease the incoming tension between the brothers.

"Healing and the eyes, huh?" Shikamaru said, looking to be deep in thought. "A giant red fox and shadows…"

"You don't look too surprised."

"My grandparents have been feeding me what I thought was nonsense for so long, but after having experienced weird shit myself, they seemed less and less unbelievable. Seeing your own shadow move can shift your perspective. Being able to move other people's shadows make you completely rethink what a human is capable of."

Kakashi hummed a response, nodding shortly before taking his focus back to what was going on in front of him. Naruto had his eyes trained on the scroll, brows furrowed in concentration before closing his eyes and frowning at whatever he thought he was doing. Sakura looked worriedly at Sasuke as he seemed to be annoyed at his brother's actions. He couldn't blame him. He had just found out about Itachi's mysterious condition and didn't want him to risk anything that could be too much for him now.

Everything felt as it should be. It may be the wrong time to think of such things, but the familiar faces of these three young adults that mirrored the faces he had seen countless times before, yet he had never met in person, made him feel like something had finally been fulfilled. It was a bizarre sensation to have them physically in front of him. He'd have to mention the dreams in full for all of them to discuss afterwards. He knew the others wanted to talk about it, as well.

Sakura slid the scroll to Itachi and the older Uchiha placed it directly in front of him on the table. Shutting his eyes tight, he focused in letting the pathway's familiar sensation to the place he wanted them. Feeling a warm liquid drip from his right eye onto his cheek, he let it roll down as he heard a chair's legs be dragged, making way for someone's body to stand up.

Feeling that it was about time, he shot his eyes wide open and focused on the aged paper in front of him. And just like that, the light in the room vanished, replaced by the familiar feeling of darkness taking over whatever the light touched. The people in the room began to disappear, not before he heard their audible gasps at what his eyes may have looked like to them. Left alone, standing in what felt like infinite darkness, he waited until his sight was no more and a flicker of red.

* * *

He felt his sight return to him. It was all painless, the experience, something he didn't expect. Aside from the initial numbness that was now beginning to ebb, he felt completely fine. Letting his eyes open, he realized his surroundings hadn't changed. Everything around him was still in pitch black. The only change was the old woman with greying hair standing before him.

She was shorter than he was, almost a head shorter, wearing a loose, faded red blouse and black pants that flared at the end where her ankles were. She wore glasses to aid onyx eyes. Though she was older, there were facets of her appearance that looked vaguely familiar to him. The way she stood, the aura she exuded.

"You're not who I thought would be here," she spoke, her voice warbling, indicating her age. She must be older than Itachi realized. "But it's a welcome surprise." She smiled softly, tilting her head.

"Where is 'here' exactly?"

"A space only I can bring you in and out of." Her smile turned to a thin line set in seriousness. "There is much to discuss but not much time. I suspect Kurama will take care of any unanswered questions once Lord Seve- Naruto's chakra is fully formed."

"You've been watching?"

"I have heard bits and pieces." She took a step closer. "The eyes you and your brother possess is called the Sharingan."

"The copy wheel eye."

She nodded. "It's a powerful technique that only an Uchiha can possess."

"Why hasn't there been other Uchihas with it that my brother and I are aware of, then?"

"Chakra is scarce now. Back then, every ninja possessed it, but one day that ceased to be true and now, millennia later, only a select few do."

"And why is that?" Inquisitive, he raised a brow.

"A group had managed to obtain power to rid the world of chakra." Her voice was firm, a tinge of something Itachi could not place within it. "Only a few ninja, including myself, retained it. But not as much as we used to have. If I had more, I could be able to just show you instead of explaining it."

"So this chakra, it allows power based on bloodline?"

"Not exactly. There are ninja clans that existed that had abilities exclusive to their clan but being part of a ninja clan wasn't necessary to become a ninja. My mother didn't come from a clan, but she had become one of the strongest ninja in the village."

"I see. So this Sharingan is exclusive to the Uchiha."

She nodded. "Though there were some who had tried to steal it or use it to their own advantage. They had never truly succeeded before they were ultimately stopped, though."

"That doesn't explain why my brother and I are the only Uchihas to have had any amount of chakra. After so long, it should have been lost. Any chances would be slim, yet two brothers possess it."

"You two are a different case. As is whoever is with you. I do recall making sure the scroll I had left that enabled you to meet with me would be left to a woman with pink hair and green eyes."

"Quite a specific requirement." Itachi studied her. There was something more to this woman. He had surmised that she was an Uchiha, having this much knowledge about Uchiha abilities said as much, but her eyes were a telltale sign of her bloodline. Then there was the shape of her face and the way she presented herself. "Tell me, why not just ask to pass it down the Uchiha."

"There was no way to be certain of whether or not it would be pass down to you or your brother before it would be opened. It could have been thrown out. Having it be passed to that family and have it given to the woman was a safer bet. She has quite a unique appearance."

Itachi didn't buy that for a second, but he humored her. "You know her?"

She looked away. "I assume you and your comrades have had strange dreams?"

She changed the topic. That intrigued him and only fueled his theory. Instead of pressing the matter, he followed her pace. "Yes. You're aware of them?"

"Those are not so much dreams as they are memories." She turned her gaze back to him, his eyes not eliciting the surprise she thought him to have. She was always told not much could break his composure. The woman smirked at that recollection.

Itachi hadn't stop his examination of her. Though aged, she had a lot of the tendencies he saw in his brother, though a tinge softer. Perhaps…

"Memories."

"Yes."

"So you mean to say that we are..."

"Reincarnations."

* * *

 **Notes:**

Hi! This took longer to update than expected. I rewrote this chapter three times and even with this one, I'm not satisfied with it, but I feel it's the best I can do right now. I've been having a lot of insecurities about my writing, so that hindered me a lot, plus Fire Emblem Three Houses came out and I became OBSESSED with the Blue Lions.

This chapter was, like, 15K words long, but I decided to save that other 5K for next chapter, so at least I had something to go with.

Also, I start uni in a couple weeks, so there's that.

I'll be updating Fade In soon.

Hopefully this chapter isn't as bad as I think it is.

Thanks for reading, though!


	10. (Genesis) Chapter Eight: Answers II

**Note:**

" talk " - The characters are speaking in Japanese.

 _" talk " -_ The characters are speaking English.

' _talk_ ' - The characters are thinking.

More notes at the end of the chapter.

* * *

This chapter is unedited. (10/9/19)

* * *

 **Eternal**

 **Part One: Genesis**

* * *

 **Chapter Eight**

 **Answers II**

* * *

Common sense tried to convince him that what he was hearing was false, that such a thing was not possible. But from everything that had happened, the research he had conducted to rationalize or make sense of his experiences, he knew that what he knew was common sense was just that: common. Everything that had been happening was _uncommon_ , but who's to say it didn't contain sense?

Itachi had spent years, ever since he was a child with the unknown illness, researching what had occurred within him to have obtained the conundrum of eyes he had now. He didn't leave a stone unturned. He studied mythology, medicine, rumors of powers within humans. All that made him open his mind to the things most would deem impossible. Sasuke was not the only one desperate for answers.

Naruto had mentioned odd dreams, and though his descriptions of his own were different, he had also experience some of the nighttime visions, though they are far and few in between. They mostly involved his family, and whenever they would appear in his mind, a sharp pang of pain would hit his heart and his soul at the sight of his parents, of his brother. Was it guilt? That's what he'd describe it as. But what was he guilty of?

After his parents' deaths, Itachi's dreams took a more emotional turn. The mere sight of his mother's smile, or his father's nod of approval would strike an even greater pain within him, twisting his insides with the familiar throngs of complicated feelings strong enough to make him want to empty his last meal from his stomach.

With this old woman, standing before him in a void of nothingness, and the single word she had uttered, some puzzles began to solve themselves while new ones begin to flood his brain. One puzzle in particular was the woman herself.

It was quiet for what felt like too long. The woman's eyes never wandered away from his, studying him, looking for some sort of reaction.

Itachi's stiff shoulders relax and he thought he saw a fleeting look of relief in her eyes before they were whisked away, hiding deep inside her onyx eyes.

"Reincarnations," he parroted, finally breaking the silence.

She nodded. "Yes. Of a time I imagine is lost."

He raised a brow, curious.

"I imagine it's been a long time. When I was a child, there was something called chakra, energy that can be used by those who train with it, hone it to perform skills impossible otherwise."

He kept quiet, listening intently. He already had the idea of chakra thanks to Toma the cat, and to what Sakura had mentioned.

"Chakra was specifically used by ninja to perform said techniques. You could call it power."

"Something like magic?"

Her eyes soften. "It would be like magic, now, won't it?" A look of longing.

Itachi took this moment to study her features. Though she was old, the wrinkles and folds on her face telling as much, something in her eyes felt all too familiar. The way she stood, the aura she emanated. However, the shape of her face and her eyes, though relatively changed with age, still rung familiarity in his head.

She snaps out of her brief reverie and looks at him, seriousness returning. "Yes, to you, now, it may be associated with magic, but when I was a child, it was normal. I went to an academy to train to become a full-blown ninja. My parents and their friends were all established and successful ninja who live to protect our village."

"They trained children? As what, child soldiers?"

That took her aback. "Child soldiers?"

"You said, when you were a child. This was the norm? Children were allowed, accepted to fight?"

"Is that not accepted in your time?"

"Quite. In fact, it is frowned upon." Itachi frowned, himself, more complicated feelings continue swirling.

"Well, in my time, it was normal. In fact, my goal was to become the best in the village. Good enough to lead it."

"And that had changed?"

"What?"

"You said ' _was_.'"

Her eyes leave his own and move to the blackness beneath them. More wrinkles appear on her forehead as her brows furrow in reminiscence and yearning for something he did not know.

"How could I lead a village that no longer existed?" She continued, not looking back at him. "One day, out of nowhere, everything changed. Not only was our village destroyed, but every other ninja village. With it, chakra had managed to disappear, with a few exceptions."

Her home was destroyed. And chakra just vanished?

"Some had retained some of their chakra, but it was not the same. The chakra that remained were only capable of doing the very basic techniques. No one had the same amount they did before the tragedy."

She finally looked at him again, the wrinkles of furrowed brows soften as she allowed her eyes to continue with unspoken words.

"So what happened afterwards?"

"Those who had survived continued surviving, adapting to life without chakra, to life without their loved ones, and eventually, people's memories had been tampered with. Ninja became simple fighters, chakra was considered magic, and the tragedy thought of as a folktale."

"You lived long enough for it to be forgotten?"

"No."

"Then how are you so sure?"

"The fact that you don't know about it yourself."

Itachi considered her for a beat. She seemed to know of him. And with the familiarity he felt, he may, too. "Was I someone you knew?"

She shook her head. "I knew of you. Never met you. But I'm so glad, even in this way, that I have now." She smiled brightly. "I don't have much time with you left." She took a step forward. "I only managed to put this much of my chakra into the scroll." Another step. "But I need to tell you things are changing. I don't know how exactly, but I had devoted my life to finding out what exactly happened to cause the tragedy."

"And I play a part in it." Itachi brought his thumb onto his chin, rubbing it lightly in contemplation. "Did you find what you were looking for?"

"It isn't just you. I fear the tragedy will happen again, now." She sighed. "In my travels, I happened upon someone who seemed to know more than they let on. He was a tall man. His hair was white, and his eyes looked like they kept changing colors. He gave me a scroll and told me that it had a pair still out there. You need both of them in order to read its contents. Right when he gave it to me, he vanished. I felt its power and knew it was something. I never found the other one, though, so I guess, I'm passing that onto you guys. Maybe my questions will finally be answered."

She was directly in front of him now, head raised to look up at him. She was shorter than he thought, and she was now shining in a white light, the color on her person fading into it. "You seem to trust me implicitly for someone who had only heard of me. And, you knew who I was."

"I thought if not him, it'd be you. And Uchihas are easy to recognize, at least for me." Smiling, she shook her head. "I guess it does run in the Uchiha. Maybe just the Uchiha men, that bluntness."

His brows raised as he felt light, frail arms around his waist. He looked down to find her hugging him as the color of her hair turns darker and somehow her height changes. From being just below his chin to just beneath his ribs, her hair turns from white to black as she squeezes harder. He feels wetness on his shirt as he feels the pressure of her glasses fall from his chest to just below his waist. The pressure begins to lighten as the glow around her grows brighter.

She looked up, and with tears escaping now vibrant onyx eyes, he saw the child embracing him. The red rimmed glasses and clothes, though now larger on her small frame, the only thing that hadn't changed. He could see her features more clearly now. A rounded face, eyes large and shape tilted slightly up. Her forehead, pronounced. Her coloring, all too recognizable.

"Please tell them I love them, that I missed them so much." Though he could see her small arms were squeezing harder, he couldn't feel the pressure. She was fading away, somehow. "I did my best after everything, but I still missed them. I missed them so much it hurt."

Tears continued rolling down her face, as if a dam had finally broken after years of holding everything in.

"I grew up, raised a family, tried to keep the memory of them, of our clan, alive." She sobbed. "Even if I can't see them again. I want them to know that much."

He didn't know what came over him, but before he realized, his arms were trying to wrap around the now ghost-like girl, hovering over her form.

"I've always wanted to meet you." She sniffled. "Papa would always talk about how great you were. How everything you did was for him and for the village."

Itachi did not know how to process this, but slowly, things began to piece together.

"I'm just glad, that even for a moment, I did meet you."

Her arms were off his body, as the faint colors of her eyes stared at his own. She motioned for him to lean closer, as if wanting to share a secret. He did, bending down.

He didn't feel it, but the ghostlike presence of two fingers on his forehead were hard to miss. She smiled and that was the last he saw of her and her form faded away, but her voice, soft and carried like a quiet remnant of an echo.

"Until next time, Uncle Itachi."

* * *

Itachi had been slumped on his chair for a while now, his red eyes still wide open and its color seemed to get even more vivid. Sasuke was standing next to his chair, changing his focus from his older brother and the scroll in front of him. Tsunade was moved a chair next to the sitting Uchiha, checking his vitals every now and again to see if he was in any trouble.

Checking his pulse, she felt his heart rate increase, though not too much to cause worry. What was worrisome was the constant flow of crimson escaping his tear ducts, but she couldn't do anything about it yet, since his eyes were in use. She couldn't risk it, especially with Sasuke impatiently standing next to her patient.

No one said a word the entire time, all lost in their thoughts over what was happening. Shikamaru looked to be preparing for anything bad to occur, his stance ready. Naruto just stared intently at Itachi's immobile form. Kakashi remained calm, seemingly confident in a good outcome. However, the way his brows would furrow every now and again showed signs of wariness within the calm façade.

Sakura had been walking in and out of the room, repeatedly trying to call anyone who could check the forest where Nekobaa used to live. She even tried calling the site for updates, upon Tsunade's request, but the lines remained down. No calls. No texts. No internet. Nothing.

She walked back into the room with no progress and returned to her seat, worry lines on her forehead, the stress of the days events continuing to weigh in on her.

And then suddenly, the scroll begins to glow, every second a little brighter than the last. Naruto had to get off his seat and walk backwards, his arm raised to cover the light from his eyes. Sakura did the same, her back pressing the nearby wall. Sasuke only squinted, remaining firmly by his brother's side as the rest did their best to cover their sight.

As abruptly as it appeared, the glow dimmed and the scroll went from worn-looking to newly made, it's parchment a clean white as it laid on the table, now closed. Like the light signaled a change, Sasuke, Naruto, Sakura, and Shikamaru felt something within them pulse, a spike of energy and heat had flooded what felt like their veins like a beast had escaped its prison.

Sasuke widened his stance, preventing him from falling, his palms facing the floor. Naruto simply took a sharp breath, a hand placed on his stomach. Sakura clutched her forehead, a warm sensation spreading through it. Shikamaru's eyes widened due to the foreign sensation, his shadow looked like it glitched for just a second.

Thud.

Itachi's body slid to the floor before Sasuke could catch his body, momentarily distracted by the scroll's light show. Sasuke had managed to stop Itachi's head from meeting the wood floor.

He noticed his brother's eyes were now closed as he studied him. Tsunade rushed next to him, checking his vitals.

"He seems fine. Pulse is back to normal. Breathing is fine." Really the only thing was the blood. Tsunade reached for his closed eyes and used her fingers to open them, looking to see any difference. "Inflammation in the conjunctiva. He has eye drops I prescribed him. Anyone know where it is?"

"His room, most likely." Sasuke answered.

Nodding, Tsunade stood. "We'll need to take him to his bed, let him rest. I'll apply the eye drops and continue checking for any changes."

Sakura slowly walked towards the table. "Any idea as to what happened?"

"Whatever it was, it put a strain on his eyes. There's irritation and some of the blood is coming from his sclera."

"Subconjunctival hemorrhage." Sakura nodded. "I'll prepare a warm compress."

"There are kitchen towels in the bottom drawer by the fridge," Sasuke said, eyes not straying from his brother's head. Sakura headed to the kitchen.

"Is that bad?" Naruto asked.

"It'll heal within two weeks, nothing too serious. This is the first time it's happened, that he's informed me of, anyway."

Kakashi appeared by Sasuke, kneeling down and preparing to lift Itachi by the back of his shoulder. Sasuke saw this and followed suit with his opposite shoulder.

Sasuke and Kakashi carry Itachi to his room as Tsunade follows behind them, leaving Shikamaru and Naruto in the room, both focused on whatever their mind was on. Toma was by the window, merely observing the recent events.

Throughout the quiet and then the burst of activity, Toma was busy analyzing the sudden spike of chakra within the younger adults in the room immediately after Itachi hit the ground. He knew that somehow, all of their pathways had completed its forming at the same time. It was too much of a coincidence.

His copper eyes find the new scroll, feeling immense power within it. It had to be the source. But how was it possible to speed up their chakra pathway formation. But maybe it was what the scroll had been. What exactly did the older Uchiha witness?

He supposed he'd wait until he would awake. There was no use thinking about it too hard when the answers were just a few hours away. Still, he was curious.

Jumping off of the windowpane, Toma approached the newcomer he had not formally met yet. Dark hair tied in a spiky ponytail, eyebags that had just began to lighten. He thought he was one who had an abundance of sleep, but the darkness beneath his eyes said otherwise.

"Hey," Toma said, paw tapping on his ankle.

Shikamaru looked down, his arms folded over his chest, and raised a brow.

"Why don't ya sleep?"

His brows fell into a furrow. "What?"

"Eyebags."

"You always this rude?"

"It's a genuine question. You're up doing something."

"And that's important, why?"

"Ya have any theories about what's going on?"

"A few."

"And ya noticed the change in your chakra, didn't ya?"

"Yeah. Right after that scroll lit up."

"And you know more about Maiso lore than anyone here, so…" the cat trailed off.

Shikamaru sighed and relented. "If we have this chakra thing, I'm guessing all that's up ahead is trouble that we can't avoid."

* * *

Itachi had been asleep for a few hours. Sakura and Tsunade had cleaned the blood off of his face and deemed that he was going to be okay.

Tsunade had to head back to the site, the truck and the driver that took her there had waited until she instructed them to return. With recent important events, it was imperative that she break the news to her colleagues and underlings. It was a task she did not look forward to.

She had also instructed Sakura to stay with the Uchihas for the time being, just to be safe. She was met with some rebelling from Sakura, but the young medical professional in training had decided to follow her orders and stay in the cottage.

Watching her mentor as she left the lot, she let the weight of the events finally fully settle and she squeezed her eyes shut in what was a mix of frustration, shock, and exhaustion. She had lived a normal life, stayed away from trouble, but she knew those days were over, and she didn't know how to feel about it.

Raising her head and staring at the reddening sky and the sun that was almost setting, she breathed in a large gulp of air. In the corner of her eye, she saw someone's leg dangling from the roof and panicked before she realized it was Sasuke, sitting down on it with his leg over the ledge. She turned and met his eyes.

"Is that really safe?" She asked, loud enough for him to hear.

He answered her with a shrug.

He was tired, worry over his brother seen clear as day in his eyes. She thought she'd be surprised with it, but she'd be more surprised if he didn't show his concern. He cared deeply for his brother. She guessed she would, too, especially if he was the only family he had left.

Biting down her bottom lip, she went inside the cottage, grabbed two bottles of water from the fridge and climbed up the stairs to the balcony where they spoke to each other earlier in the day, after she had woken up from her nap. Seeing the table that was moved close to the wall, she knew that's how he had gotten up there.

Sasuke eyed her as she stood on top of the table. She threw a water bottle his way. Grabbing it with both hands, he felt the cold moisture off the plastic as she gave a small 'oomph' sound when she jumped and climbed onto the roof to join him.

Water bottle in hand, he raised it up with a quizzical look.

"You need it. After everything today."

If anyone needed it, he thought, it'd be her. But he didn't say it out loud. Instead, he took off the cap and welcomed the coolness down his throat.

Sakura watched him as he did so, questions circulating in her mind but hesitance prevented her from voicing them out. Within the short time they'd known each other, she felt as if she could tell what he was thinking. She knew he was scared. She knew he was mad. She knew he was battling emotions swirling within him. She could tell all of that with just one look into his eyes.

Yet, she found it strange. She barely knew him, but the connection she felt to him was real, strong. He was some sort of unknown magnetic force pulling her towards him with the intent of bounding themselves together, mind and soul.

She shook her head. She had to be crazy. But crazier things have happened. And the vivid dreams she had were almost definitely part of the ludicrous thing that was their lives now.

With her hesitance dissipating, she took a breath before speaking. "I don't want to make a heavy day even heavier, but… I think we've all mentioned some weird dreams…"

Sasuke was quiet, weighing in her words. Before she had gotten on the roof with him, that topic was one of the many that was plaguing him. Naruto had mentioned it, she had mentioned it, it seemed far too specific to be a coincidence.

"I think you do."

She blinked. "What?"

Turning his gaze away from the greenery in front of him, he looked at her. "Want to make today heavier."

Frowning, she looked away "Not my intention, but I just… I just want answers."

"We're going to have to wait for _aniki_ to wake up for majority of the answers we want for now."

"Then, listen to mine." She stared back at his onyx irises with her own emeralds.

He found himself incapable of saying no, so he gave her a nod.

"I've been having dreams, lots of them." Her eyes left his and found the sky. "It used to feel like I was watching something, but recently, I've been feeling like I was actually living these scenarios. And in most of them, I see you."

Her heart, despite herself, began pounding faster. Why was she flustered all of a sudden? Internally shaking herself out of it, she continued. "I didn't know who you were and when we did meet, I felt like I knew you more personally than I should. Same goes with Naruto." Though, not entirely.

Sasuke let her words sink in. So it was the same for her as it was for him and Naruto. "What dreams?"

"What?"

"Describe one of them." A silent 'please' hung in the air.

"There's one that always seems to find its way back into my dreams. I'm running. Naruto's with me, but I ran ahead to, I don't know, beat the shit out of some guy and then I see you, standing above the crater I run into. It's you, but it's not. Your eyes looked so empty."

They stared at each other in silence, Sakura trying to gauge his reaction.

"As opposed to now?"

"Excuse me?"

"They aren't empty now?"

"No. They're not."

The silence rolls on as the red sky slowly transitioned to its nighttime colors, the sound of nature filling in the space.

Sasuke knew she was familiar, too. He knew the moment he caught a glimpse of her at the airport. But hearing her say the same made him wonder of what else could be lurking within his own mind. Maybe some of his answers were within him all along.

A soft breeze moves a few strands of her pink hair over her face, her gentle fingers move them back behind her ear.

There was familiarity in whatever she did. The way she moved, the way she spoke, the way she smiled. Sasuke just knew she smelled like her namesake, that her hands were slightly rough due to how hard she worked. He knew she had a temper in her that she hadn't shown them yet. He knew her insecurities. He knew her strengths. But why _did_ he know?

He really shouldn't be questioning the impossible too much in the situation they were in. Red eyes, healing abilities, a magic scroll, maybe it was time to redefine what they thought of as normal.

Still, he wanted to know this as much as what his brother had went through when he was in the state he was in using his eyes on the scroll.

Naruto mentioned having dreams involving her, as well. Was chakra responsible for it? That was the only thing he knew they shared in common.

But still, there was something different. When Sasuke and Naruto had become friends, they both knew details that strangers could not possibly know about each other. With Sakura, it felt like that, but more intimate.

Sakura was studying him, as well. A hint of fear crept into the recess of her mind. Maybe she was thinking too deep into things. Maybe she was trying to put a story in something that didn't have room for one. But looking back into his eyes, she felt a strong connection. It was like they were having a conversation without words because they were unnecessary.

She could see the curiosity, the confusion, and the sliver of hope within them. He felt that there was something, too.

She didn't know what was going to happen now, but there was comfort in knowing he was there. Now, all she had to figure out was why. Why was she so comfortable with someone who was basically a stranger?

Her dreams couldn't have possibly projected into reality, but if it did, why now? Why, after years of dreams, did he just come up now? Years of staring up at him from a crater, of tears of the thought of him, of the enormous weight he carried on her body and soul, why did he appear now?

Why did everything happen at once?

She thought back to Naruto, and how she felt like she had known him since birth. She had likened him to some sort of spiritual brother, but what would that make Sasuke?

Breaking the eye contact, Sakura looked at the sky, the sun now about to set. Sasuke followed her gaze and the two stared wordlessly at the upcoming moon. Maybe it had the answers they sought after. After all, the moon was their most frequent witness.

* * *

"I see." A calm voice. "So you've aligned with the other side."

Kneeling in front of him, their backs towards him as they face the door.

Itachi knew those voices, the voices he longed to hear after years of their absence.

What was he doing? He could feel the power from his eyes, the chakra that was focused on them. He also felt the pain behind them, the pain that was wallowing up his mind, threatening to swallow him whole. It wasn't just from the eyes. It was from the action he was about to do.

"Father, Mother…" He stopped, finding the words. "I-"

"I know, Itachi." His mother's voice, always so understanding. It didn't make what he was about to do any less painful.

"Itachi, just promise me this." His father, calm and assertive. He didn't sound any different. Yet another stab to his conscience.

Itachi felt his head shot up in shock. His father's last words would be a request?

"Take care of Sasuke."

Warm liquid tears roll down his cheeks. As much as his father showed a brave face towards the younger sibling, he always loved and cared for Sasuke, just as much as he did Itachi.

But why did Itachi know this? This was something new, something different. He'd dreamt of this moment, but he was always a ghost staring at the scene before him, yelling in horror as he witnessed himself kill his own parents.

But he's living it. He knows what's to come.

His surroundings change. The air went managed to get colder. The wooden walls and floor of the Uchiha house turned to stone walls of a cave, familiar yet foreign. The taste of salt appeared on his tongue until it dissipated, and his body became lighter.

Sasuke, in front of him, looked at him with a look of sadness.

"I feel my consciousness is slowly fading," he heard himself say.

He could feel not just his body becoming lighter, but the weight of something unspoken lift off of his shoulders.

Sasuke's eyes widened as Itachi's body began to glow. He'd have to leave him again.

"The night I left you." His feet make their way to Sasuke. "I did do everything Danzo and Tobi told you."

If Sasuke was shocked, he didn't show it. His eyes only remained wide at the sight of what was occurring.

He'd always hurt him. It was never his intention, but he did. Maybe this time, he could atone for that and not leave his side.

He left his brother to the village that betrayed his own family. He left him alone. He vowed not to do it again.

"I always lied to you and asked you to forgive me." His steps were lighter. His body glowing even brighter as he began to fade. Two fingers raised. "So this time, I want to impart this truth to you."

Closer.

Just a little closer.

Brushing through his brother's forehead, he cradled the back of his neck and brought their foreheads to meet.

"I will love you always."

The last thing he saw was his brother's face, shocked and close to tears.

And then, like flashing lights, more scenes began to play, all playing in fast motion, all making his heart scream in pain.

"Maybe next time."

Two fingers tap his baby brother's forehead. A promise he didn't fulfill.

"There is no value in killing the likes of you... Foolish little brother, if you wish to kill me, then Hate me, detest me, curse me, and survive in an unsightly way. Run, Run and cling to your pitiful life."

Sasuke on his knees, a young child who had seen too much.

"Self-sacrifice... A nameless shinobi who protects peace within its shadow... That is a true shinobi..."

His back against the village he had known and loved, all at the cost of his own blood.

"You're still too weak. You don't have enough hate, and you know something? You never will."

His hands around his brother's neck. Sasuke had to get stronger. Sasuke had to kill him.

"I shall surpass Madara and achieve real greatness. And now, I can finally obtain power that exceeds Madara's!"

Two fingers digging into his brother's eye socket.

"I am always going to be there for you, even if it is only as an obstacle for you to overcome, you and I have to live together, even if it means hating each other, that... is what big brothers are for..."

Blood all over his body. Time had finally come for him. Two fingers on his brother's forehead. He was just as banged and bruised as he was. Fingers slide off his forehead as his body falls to the ground.

"You will never have to forgive me."

A tear. How could he ever have it in him to do so?

"No matter what happens to you from here on out."

He knew now he was given yet another chance.

"I will always love you."

And Itachi was not going to let this chance slip by.

* * *

Naruto laid on his bed, worry etched on his face as he recalled the day's events.

"So I talked to a giant fox, everyone has some weird power, Itachi's passed out."

He rubbed his hair in agitation.

"I sound crazy."

"Yes, but in fairness, we all have a bit of crazy."

Naruto jumped and sat up as he heard Kakashi's voice come out of nowhere. Kakashi was leaning by the door frame, arms folded with an air of nonchalance.

"Kakashi-sensei! Ever heard of knocking?"

He shrugged. "Try closing your door."

A pout as Naruto moved to the edge of the bed, feet off the mattress. "Is Itachi awake?"

Kakashi shook his head. "Though, I suspect he'll wake up soon."

"What happened, anyway?"

"We'll have to ask him when he does wake."

Naruto put his elbows on his knees, hands rubbing his hair again. "Why did life get so weird all of a sudden?"

"It's part of adulthood."

"Well, duh, but I know most adults don't have to deal with crazy ass energy things and a talking fox."

Kakashi raised a brow. "About that…"

The blonde raised his head and met the professor's inquisitive gaze. "What?"

"What else did the fox tell you?"

"I told you all he told me. He said I didn't have enough of the chakra thing yet to hold a longer conversation."

Kakashi nodded, a hand rubbing his mask covered chin. "Then, perhaps you could try again, now."

"Huh?"

"Surely, you noticed the surge of energy right after Itachi snapped out of that trance?"

Naruto did feel a shot of energy after the whole thing. Was that what it was? Maybe he could do it, but how?

"I don't know how to." Naruto admitted. "But about all of this…"

Naruto had only been to a couple of Kakashi's lectures, but his acquaintance with Itachi came as much a surprise as everything.

"How exactly did you meet Itachi?"

"How'd I meet him, huh?" Kakashi's hand left his chin. "It was an Uchiha event a few years back. Felt a charge of heat, chakra, that was from him. He felt mine. He wanted answers, and I gave him the few I did know."

"Which were?"

"That only a few possessed it. That from what I've experienced, came with heavy dreams. Dreams that you have mentioned."

Kakashi knew Naruto. He knew him even before seeing him in one of his lectures. He was just waiting until he remembered, too.

"Back then, I talked to your father and mother about it, as well."

Naruto stared at him; eyes large in surprise. "You knew my parents?"

He nodded. "There are things you have to wait for, Naruto. Things have to go in a certain pace. Your father told me as much."

The dreams, the pangs of nostalgia, Kakashi had been through them all. He knew the only reason he knew the reality of the situation was because the Namikazes had divulged the truth to him. Maybe he could tell them all. But that would be unwise. Though easier, it might ruin some pertinent things that had to come naturally. And the last time someone did so, they had died a few weeks after.

* * *

"I know I don't have long."

"But Minato-"

"We had hoped we could live our entire life with him in this life, but something's coming. I'm just happy we did get this time with him."

"Why are you so sure that you're-"

"Dreams have a funny way of telling you the past, present, and the future. It's all the more apparent in this life." She walks in, a sad smile. "We knew we shouldn't have told you everything at once, but you needed to. Lead them well, Kakashi."

"Just make sure things happen as organically as possible. They need to learn of things themselves or else some important aspects may change. They could act rashly. Or worse."

"You keep saying 'they'. Who are 'they'?"

* * *

Shortly after that conversation, he realized who they were referring to. His students.

In this life, he had only ever taught Naruto, but they were still his students.

Naruto was the same. He guessed he would never change. Always a beacon of hope, a light to people's lives.

Sasuke was calmer. Perhaps he could thank Itachi's presence for that. And the fact that he didn't have to witness a deadly murder at such a young age.

Sakura seemed to be more like her adult self, keeping her temper to herself, but he knew it was still in there.

They were the same, but different. How that would change once they knew, he didn't know. But they were still his beloved students.

Suddenly, right as Naruto was about to ask about his sudden silence, Kakashi's phone rings in his pocket. "Looks like signal is back."

Naruto hopped out of bed. "I'll go tell Sakura-chan." He ran out of the room.

The name on his screen made his brow furrow. Clicking accept, he placed the phone by his ear.

"Finally! My calls weren't getting through!" She sounded exhausted and irritated.

"Something wrong with the signal in the area."

"Well, thank God, it's over. We've spotted Kaiju and Shimura in the same building."

"Where?" He stands straight and walks through the empty hallways to the back terrace.

"Nakagin Capsule."

"That's just a walk away from Uchiha Towers."

"Think they have a hunch on where the servers are?"

"Can never be too careful."

"Gaara's back from Dubai, says he found something important."

"You and Gaara make your way to the Hidaka range. I'll have a chopper sent for you. I'm afraid it's safer to talk in person"

"How soon?"

"A week, max. There are things that need to be sorted before you get here."

"Got it."

The call ended, and Kakashi stuffs his phone in his pocket. He feels a presence behind him. "Shikamaru?"

"That Temari?"

He nodded. "She and Gaara are coming in a few days."

An exasperated sigh. "Can never get away from that woman."

"That's one way to refer to your girlfriend."

At least those two had gotten together without interference. He thought back to his own students. He hadn't witnessed much between Sasuke and Sakura, but he had only just arrived. And as far as he knew, he hadn't seen or heard of Hinata in this time. It was too early to judge the state of that particular situation, but even though he couldn't meddle out right, maybe a push in the right direction would help speed things up concerning the Uchiha couple.

He shook his head. Hopefully this time wouldn't take years of chasing for it to happen. They didn't have the time.

"Have something you wanted to say, Shikamaru?"

Shikamaru walked to the spot next to the white haired man. "Itachi's awake."

Kakashi looked at him. "And you didn't start off with that?"

"You looked like you needed to think about something." The man shrugged. "I'll wait until you and him finish talking before telling the rest."

Shikamaru may not know everything, but he was smart enough to have an almost clear answer. He was so close to figuring out Maiso's origins. He asked Kakashi what he knew one time, but that was just one of the few bits of information he couldn't divulge fully until everyone realized who they were. He suspected that now that Itachi was awake, he would know the scope of this new life. Shikamaru was not far behind.

He was confused about one thing, though. Why was it taking longer for _his_ students to remember? Perhaps there was something blocking their minds. Or maybe they had grown too accustomed to this life and are suppressing their own memories. That, he'll have to investigate.

For now, he needed to speak with Itachi.

* * *

Itachi had his back against the bed's headboard, staring at the wall in front of him. It all came back to him. All his sins in his past life, his true life. Or was this his true life? Was he given another chance at redemption?

He didn't know how he'd be able to face Sasuke now. He was the cause for all of his trauma. But this was a new life, a new start. Maybe he had forgiven him after their last shared moment.

Itachi had an inkling of what was happening, but he didn't know the full scope of his past life. All of the crimes he committed, all of the pain he had caused. Did he truly deserve this chance?

A knock shook him out of his deep reflection, and Kakashi walked in the room.

Without saying anything, he walked to the side of his bed with his arms crossed and waited for Itachi to speak first.

"You knew?"

Kakashi only nodded, knowing full well what he was referring to.

"I'm a criminal."

"Was." Kakashi corrected him. "And in fact, it wasn't entirely your fault. You had to make a difficult decision."

Calmly, Itachi turned his head to look at the older man. "How long have you known?"

"Just a few weeks before the Namikazes died."

Itachi nodded. "Did Sasuke… Did he ever forgive me?"

Seeing as Itachi already knew, telling him wouldn't change anything. "He ended up protecting the village just as you had. Named his daughter with you in mind."

That gave him a spark of joy within his moment of self-loathing. Then, he remembered the woman that faded away as a child. The face shape, the eyes, her coloring, her aura. He realized then. "What was her name?"

Kakashi smiled softly beneath his mask. "Sarada."

'Da' from 'ta'. Her name was Sarada.

"I met her."

This piqued Kakashi's interest. "The scroll?"

Nodding, Itachi continued. "When I came to, she was in front of me. Older than I am now. She said she used what chakra she had left to be put in the scroll."

"Explains why the scroll had to be given to Sakura specifically."

Itachi nodded. "She mentioned a man giving her a scroll. She described it as something with incredible chakra within it, can only be opened with its pair."

"The moment you snapped out of it, the scroll changed."

"Then, she must have gifted it to us."

"Now, we have to find its pair." Kakashi sighed. "It could be anywhere."

"That's the only lead we've got."

Itachi was quiet for a beat. "Why didn't you tell us that we are… what we are."

"I was advised not to."

"By the Namikazes, I presume."

A nod. "When they told me, a few weeks later, they were dead."

Itachi rubbed his temples. "What exactly did the tell you?"

"Everything."

"Then perhaps, there is a loophole to that."

"What are you implying?"

"They chose to divulge the whole truth to you, then they passed away. I have a feeling my parents' deaths were because of something similar."

Just a few weeks before they died, Itachi remembered his parents having an intense conversation with someone behind the closed doors of his father's office in the manor. He didn't know who the man was, only that he was an associate of his father. He had a similar shade of hair that Kakashi did and glasses to aid his sight. The last he saw of him; he was on his way out of the manor.

He always thought they had an argument over business proceedings, but now, he thought otherwise.

"Do you think Jiraiya could have died the same way?"

Itachi shook his head. "Jiraiya died in different circumstances. Where the Namikazes and my parents died in freak accidents, Jiraiya died in his sleep."

"Still, there's a possibility."

"What exactly did the Namikazes tell you not to do?"

"Not to divulge the whole truth."

"Then, how about just a part of the truth?"

Kakashi thought about it and began a short pace back and forth. "Do you really want to risk it?"

"I have lied my whole life to my brother last time. If I can't even tell him half of the truth here, I'm afraid I will just repeat my past sins."

Kakashi understood where he was coming from. His brother had to suffer through so much trauma and manipulation last time, but he had to wonder about the cost. If he died now, what chance did they have?

"What do you want to tell them? That this is not our first lives?"

"To start, yes. Maybe that will speed up their understanding."

"I still think this is risky."

"I will not lie, Kakashi."

"If you die now, it will be harder to defeat whatever's coming. And Sasuke-"

"Then, I will not die. I owe Sasuke this much."

"You are usually more careful."

"And where did that lead me?"

Kakashi sighed in defeat.

Itachi wanted this life to be different for him and Sasuke. Yes, he still had his secrets, but this one, he needed to know, even just a little bit.

"How long do you think their memories will fully return?"

"Since Naruto has begun speaking with the Nine Tails, I suspect he'll find out before the other two."

"And Sasuke and Sakura?"

Itachi pondered this. He had noticed the group of three's bonds seemingly happen overnight, and it was apparent that Sasuke and Sakura had an unspoken connection. It was hard to get Sasuke to open up about anything, especially to someone who was a stranger, but the moment the two shared a look, he knew they were speaking to their souls. Perhaps, deep within them, they already knew.

"I don't know."

Kakashi shook his head. "I don't know how I'll be able to handle another years long 'will they, won't they'."

"It worked out for them in the end, did it not?"

"Yes, but even in marriage, they were apart for a lot of it."

Itachi dons a look of slight surprise. "What?"

"Sasuke spent most of his life protecting Konoha from the shadows in atonement for his crimes. His words, not mine. A lot of his adult life was spent outside of the village, keeping trouble away."

Another pang of guilt. "And his wife understood?"

"Sakura was always selfless. She knew what it meant to him. Even apart, she said they were connected. They had a strong bond. Every time he came home, the two would prefer time alone than with other people."

"It reflects in the way they look at each other now." Still Itachi felt sorry for the woman. Guilt weighing heavily on him.

Itachi may have looked calm, but Kakashi could tell he was reflecting, feeling apologetic for what Sasuke had become and what he did even after his own death. "Without meeting you for the last time, he would not have had any humanity in him left."

"Without my mistakes, he never would have lost it. I won't allow him to go down that road again."

* * *

"I'm sorry, ma'am, but we've had local rangers check the area within and over the site, but have found no traces of foul play, let alone a wooden home."

Sakura's hands were shaking, the hand on the phone squeezing tighter. "But, officer, I told you, the-"

"Ma'am, perhaps you were just tired and hallucinated the events. Working on that medical mission over there must be stressful. Please, rest."

The line goes dead, and Sakura grumbles in frustration. The hold on her phone got tighter until the rectangular device was crushed between her thumb and the rest of her fingers.

Naruto watched in horror at the sheer strength that she had just displayed. She broke her phone with her bare hands!

Sasuke, on the other hand, was as frustrated as she was. Something was definitely off, and Shimura was obviously behind it.

Sakura, finally realizing what she had done, looked at her right hand in horror. The remnants of her phone land on the floor. "Did I actually just-"

Naruto nodded slowly. "Sakura-chan, you're cool and all, but that was terrifying."

"I don't know where that came from! I know I was stronger than most girls, but that… That's never happened before!" She sighed in aggravation. "God, I don't have the funds for a new phone, right now."

"You backed up your files?" Sasuke asked, not facing her.

"Yeah…"

"We'll handle it."

Sakura panicked. "No, you don't have to-"

"Come on, Sakura-chan! You're one of us, now! Let us help you."

 _One of us._

She had always felt close to the two, but this was kindness that she thought she didn't deserve. Yet, she couldn't bring herself to say no. They wanted to help her, and she would do the same if she was in their shoes.

This was beyond nostalgia. Something else was happening.

Toma runs into the upstairs living room that they were in. "Itachi's awake!"

Sasuke shot to his feet and ran down the stairs. Naruto and Sakura were on his heels.

The younger Uchiha reached the room first, opening the door quickly. He saw his brother sitting down on his bed, looking completely fine. Still, he was wary.

"I am fine, _otouto_."

"What happened?"

Sakura and Naruto entered the room. Sasuke was now directly in front of Itachi's bed. Hearing the ruckus, Shikamaru had decided to walk in, as well.

"It was… an enlightening experience, to say the least."

Sasuke was not having it. "Cut the crap, Itachi."

"Damn, he called him by his name. He's _serious_ serious," Naruto whispered to Sakura, receiving a slap that was meant to be light but actually hurt. He winced.

Sakura realized this and apologized in hushed whispers.

Kakashi witnessed this and shook his head. ' _Maybe things are speeding along.'_

Itachi's attention moved from Sasuke to the entire room. Naruto and Sakura were behind his brother. Kakashi was now by the window where Toma had decided to sit by its pane. Shikamaru stood under the door frame. Now was a good time as any.

"About the dreams you have all mentioned…"

Everyone was listening intently.

"Those are not just dreams. They are memories."

Shikamaru nodded his head. He already had a hunch. They were too real to just be imaginations. He didn't know how to feel about knowing the fact he married his current girlfriend when they had just started their relationship.

He was curious if his past relations would go the same way in life now, though. It is with his relationship, but are his relationships now, romantic and platonic, only based on the foundation of the past life he didn't even fully remember yet.

He wasn't the only one with that question. Sakura studied her surroundings and the people around her. Itachi had basically said it was fate. Was that all it was?

She looked at Kakashi. He was studying her, like he knew she'd react this way. Somehow, she knew he'd be worried. And he'd be right.

Sasuke's back was in front of her, and somehow, she pictured the same logo she saw in Nekobaa's home printed on the back of his shirt. She pictured the large full moon above them, the cold night air, the tears streaming down her face.

She didn't know what exactly happened in that dream. She'd only seen bits and pieces of it, but she remembered the excruciating pain. Would he hurt her that way again?

Naruto stared at the ground, remembering the dreams he did have. One stuck out in particular. The pained voices speaking as a baby cried loudly. He had a hunch of who they were. He wasn't sure if he should be glad he had the time with them he did, or be mad that they were taken away too early, again.

He shook himself. He had time with them this time. Was that why they showered him with so much love and attention?

He'd remember when he was a child feigning sleep as his parents read him a story. Sometimes he would hear his mom's quiet sobs, the soft "thank you"s that escaped her lips. Sometimes, his father would hug him so tight, like he was afraid he'd fade away if he let go.

They knew. And they made sure he was loved.

That was enough for him.

Sasuke stayed silent, eyeing Itachi with suspicion. In truth, he didn't really care about the bombshell he had given them. A part of him, deep down, knew. He just wanted to know if he was going to disappear. That was his fear.

He felt the pain in his dreams when he faded away.

He felt the loneliness in a lot of his nighttime visions.

But then, he was curious, too. Was that why he was so drawn to _her_? Why he and Naruto immediately became friends? Why he was so afraid of losing his brother?

It had to be.

"And?"

Itachi raised a brow.

"You're fine?"

"Yes."

"Then, that's enough. For now."

Itachi was shocked at this. He expected Sasuke to be more livid with him. He had been demanding answers for day, but then it hit him. His brother didn't want I have to lose him again. And he didn't want to be the cause of his suffering again.

Naruto walked up and patted Sasuke on the back. "We were worried something bad was in that scroll thingy."

Itachi let a small smile grace his dried lips. "It wasn't bad. It shed light on many things."

"I had a hunch that the dreams were memories," Shikamaru adds, now walking to where Sasuke and Naruto was. "It's good that we have confirmation on that, at least."

"You're completely sure it's accurate?" Sasuke asked, getting a nod from his brother.

"I have no reason to doubt it." Especially since it was coming from his own niece.

He still hadn't wrapped his head around it. He had a niece. He could see the resemblance clearly now. She had Sasuke's nose, a similar aura to his. But he looked at the pinkette standing at the back of the room. She was more like her mother. Her mannerisms, the shape of her face and her eyes. It was a dead ringer.

He had noticed she looked more reserved now after revealing what the dreams were. He didn't know her well enough to deduce why. He'd have to ask Kakashi.

"So what happened to us? You know, older us?" Naruto asked.

Kakashi found this the best time to interject. "That, he cannot share just yet."

Sasuke glared at him. "And why not?"

"Because there are risks," Itachi answered. "You have to regain your own memories or else things may take a turn for the worse."

"How exactly?" Shikamaru looked interested.

"Naruto, I was actually quite close with your parents."

That was news to him. He wondered why he'd bring it out at this moment but let him continue.

"Weeks after they told me everything that had happened, they were involved in the car crash."

Naruto bit his tongue.

"Prior to the accident, they knew, somehow, their time was up. I may have gotten my memories back quickly, but it came at a price."

The blonde pursed his lips, replaying what Kakashi had said in his mind. His parents must have known that they'd be killed. At least, he though they must have. Why else would they know they didn't have long?

Something was up.

"So…" He began speaking, slowly. "No asking about our past. Got it."

Naruto would talk to Kakashi privately after the group discussion. For now, they needed to know what was to come.

Sakura hadn't spoken since she entered the room but decided to walk to where everyone was and voice her question. "So, what now?"

Itachi and Kakashi shared a look before Kakashi faked a cough to gather everyone's attention to him. "For now, we keep our eyes open. Shimura is up to something and we need to make sure everyone's on the same page. We'll treat the Uchiha cottage as home base."

"What about school?" Shikamaru pondered aloud.

"I'll contact your institutions and have them send you your schoolwork."

"I'm only here because of the medical research trip. Now that Doctor Senju has been removed from the mission, I'd probably have to head back with my professor."

"I'll contact them, as well. What university do you go to?"

"BMS, Kaup Uni-Houston."

"You can send me your professor's number. It will help-"

Sakura bit her lip, sheepish. "Um… About that…"

Itachi raised a brow at her sudden shyness. Sasuke looked away and Naruto began rubbing the back of his head.

"Sakura broke her phone."

"With her bare hands!" Naruto added.

Kakashi couldn't help but chuckle at that. It looked like with her chakra; her strength increased.

"I see," Itachi fought a smile. "We'll get you a new one."

"Told you he'd be fine with it, Sakura-chan!"

"Speaking of the phone incident, I only broke it because I called the authorities, and they said that I was hallucinating seeing Nekobaa and her murder." She looked angry now, her hands balled into fists. "Told them how far it would be from the research site and they said they searched but found nothing but the forest."

"Shimura had something to do with it, no doubt." Shikamaru clicked his tongue as he racked his brain for the next move concerning the incident.

Toma was off the windowpane and hopped onto Itachi's bed, anger in his bright copper eyes. "Then let's kick ugly's ass! Nekobaa didn't deserve to…" he trailed off, tears forming.

Kakashi walked closer to the bed to pet the feline. "We'll figure out what to do next. Temari called and said Kaiju and Shimura were spotted at Nakagin Capsule."

"That's suspiciously close to Uchiha Towers."

"Yes. But Temari has it under control for now. Gaara is returning from Dubai tomorrow to help her."

Gaara, now that was a name Naruto not only found familiar, but one he actually knew. "That guy that does TED talks?"

Shikamaru nodded. "Yes, how did you know?"

"I like watching TED talks."

"Why am I not surprised?"

"I don't know. Maybe because past me liked TED talks, too."

"I'm pretty sure TED talks didn't exist then."

Kakashi, with the knowledge he did know of Naruto from their past life, was struggling to keep his amusement hidden. If Naruto only knew he was some sort of TED talk speaker back then…

"So for now," Itachi cut Naruto and Shikamaru's conversation short. "We stay here and help Tsunade with private research." His attention turned to Sakura. "Which is why I asked Sakura for her professor's number. I guess recruitment will have to fall to Tsunade herself."

"Private research?"

He nodded. "Very private. Shimura knows Tsunade won't just sit down and take his orders. We already have more than enough data. We just need to figure out what to release to the public and how we do that before Shimura does anything drastic."

"But the patients…"

"We can't sneak them out of there. The government has the full list of patients, which means it's damn near impossible to sneak one out." Kakashi said. "I'm sorry."

"Then, we just have to put a stop to whatever he's doing." She put on a determined face. "But I need to know. Are we going to reveal what chakra is to the public?"

"Seeing as most of us barely know exactly how powerful chakra is, no." Shikamaru began tapping his chin. "But when it does come to that, will we? It's going to be a frenzy with the public."

"We will be weighing the pros and cons during research. For now, our main objective is to figure out exactly what Shimura plans to do with the patients of Maiso."

"Wait! Since we know it's chakra causing it, why do we have to keep researching?" Naruto tilted his head.

"It's not the 'what' we're researching now, Naruto. It's the 'why'. We know why _we_ have it, but why are the residents of Maiso having pathways formed? We're able to continue our daily lives, while they're all stuck in hospital beds."

"But you got just as sick when yours were forming when we were kids." Itachi looked at his younger brother who's expression was set in concentration. He had something planned, the older Uchiha deduced. What, he didn't know.

"That was because my body was incapable of the new barrage of energy all at once, out of nowhere." He paused. "But it could also be that since we are reincarnated, we possess the same chakra that we did when we first died."

The masked man in the room thought about it for a moment, and it did make a lot of sense. Though Itachi is now in a new life, his past complications seemed to have followed. Sasuke, past Sasuke, had informed him that Itachi was already facing complications when he joined the Akatsuki, that he purposefully joined the organization just so Sasuke would find him and kill him.

Now that the thought occurred to him, did that mean Itachi would die the same, no matter the circumstance?

But the older Uchihas words rung back in his mind.

"Then, I will not die."

Kakashi couldn't help but just trust in his words. Because if anyone deserved another chance, it was Itachi Uchiha.

* * *

It was late, and everyone had returned to their rooms to rest up for what was going to be a hectic few days. Everyone, that is, except Sakura. She stood on the second-floor balcony; her eyes focused on the stars above. She wanted to stay in that tranquil state, but she knew that was all but impossible.

Now that she knew what her dreams meant, that they were her own memories, shook her to her core. She wouldn't say she was upset, more conflicted. Her dreams, though had beautiful moments, were mostly of her in pain, longing for someone who wasn't there. And she knew who she was pining for.

Sasuke.

What exactly went down between the two of them in their past lives, she had no clue. She'd only seen a handful of what their lives were like. She was longing, missing him for most of them. Sakura didn't want to jump to conclusions, but she knew that her feelings for him now could just be influenced by who he was then.

Yet, she knew she wouldn't be able to escape that feeling. Everything about being with him, just the thought of it, felt right. She had always been a romantic, but she never thought something like this would happen to her.

Still, a small part of her berated herself for thinking he'd hurt her. She didn't know where it came from, but she heard her voice scolding her.

Maybe she should just sleep. There was too much to think about.

She walked back in and saw Naruto, Sasuke, and Toma on the second floor living room couches, looking to be conspiring something together.

"Sakura-chan!" Naruto smiled brightly as he quickly approached her. He wrapped an arm around her shoulder and whispered in her ear, "We got a plan."

* * *

 **Notes:**

Hey, guys! Sorry for the long wait. Life hit me like a ton of bricks, lots of financial issues, but it's getting better at least.

Let me tell you, my mood when I write this vs when I write Fade In is different. This is a heavier story whereas Fade In is my self indulgence, trashy romance novel fic that I just do because I wanted a trashy romance novel SS fic lmao.

So, this chapter was gonna be a lot longer, but I needed an extra chapter to finish Genesis before we get to the middle part. We almost there, y'all.

And 100 REVIEWS! Thank y'all so much! Just to let you know, I read them all and enjoy your feedback. They give me the motivation to keep writing.

ALSO! I'm looking to commission an artist to do the cover art for this fic! If y'all have any suggestions as to who I should commission, tell me!

Let me leave yall with some questions!

 **1\. What plan did Naruto cook up?**

 **2\. What is Shimura's motive?**

 **3\. Is Shimura the main baddie?**

 **4\. What other Naruto characters will be appearing?**

 **5\. SasuSaku angst? Yes or yes?**

Oh! And before I forget! I will be posting chapter one of my A Discovery of Witches SasuSaku AU on, of course, HALLOWEEN! So, look out for that!

Please leave a review! Happy reading!


	11. (Genesis) Chapter Nine: Fate

**Note:**

" talk " - The characters are speaking in Japanese.

 _" talk " -_ The characters are speaking English.

' _talk_ ' - The characters are thinking.

More notes at the end of the chapter.

* * *

This chapter is unedited. (04/06/2020)

* * *

 **Eternal**

 **Part One: Genesis**

* * *

 **Chapter Nine**

 **Fate**

* * *

 **Two years ago...**

* * *

Kakashi was not one to enjoy such events, however, in his line of work, often times, such events were necessary to attend. It didn't mean he looked forward to going to them, though. But tonight was different.

He was standing, wine glass in hand, by the gilded windows overlooking the enchanting garden that was situated outside the mansion the event rented for the occasion. The white marble walls glowed with the bright lights that illuminated the space, showing off all of the luxurious splendor the event stood for.

Walking to the railings, he viewed the event over head, as he was on the second floor in order to be able to find who he was looking for with more ease than he would have below where the main event was currently taking place. A large space was left in the middle of the large banquet hall where people could move more freely. Tables and chairs were resigned to the spaces below where Kakashi stood, just behind the tall pillars that met through arches that made the space feel more open.

He took a sip of his drink as he inspected the space until finally he spotted the man he was looking for.

Itachi Uchiha.

And with that, he made his way to the stairs, passing by a waiter holding up a tray and leaving his glass on it. Maneuvering around the many bodies that he had come to pass, he walked towards the chakra signature he knew belonged to the young CEO.

His back was to him, speaking to who he assumed was an associate, but he noticed the way his shoulders had suddenly tensed. It was not obvious, just a small and short movement of his shoulders before they relaxed again. He doubted anyone else noticed.

Knowing that a presence was heading his way, Itachi looked to be ending his conversation, and the man he was speaking to walked away with a giggling woman in his arm. Turning, he spotted a head of grey belonging to someone who looked too young to have such a shade of hair.

Kakashi could tell by the subtle look of acknowledgment that the Uchiha could sense him, his chakra. He silently was thankful for that. It would make things easier for him.

Stopping in front of the younger man, Kakashi gave a short bow as a greeting which he was also returned with. As he straightened up, he met cautious eyes. "Uchiha-san," he greeted.

Itachi studied the man before him, the hair and the mask giving away who he was. "Hatake Kakashi. You're not one to attend these functions."

A shrug. "I was invited."

"Even then, you don't usually show up."

He shoved his hands in his pockets. "I thought this one was slightly more important."

A curious brow raised. "How so?"

"I think we both know why I'm here."

Silence between the two grew, the sounds of the event around them the only noise.

Itachi folded his arms. "I suggest we speak somewhere more private."

Nodding, Kakashi followed Itachi's lead as they left the populated area and walked towards the tables beyond the large arches.

Feeling they were safe enough, Itachi spoke, "You have it."

"Straight to it, huh?" Kakashi grabbed a champagne flute from a passing waiter. Based on that reply, he had gathered that he did not regain his memories yet. If he did, he would have known what 'it' was called. Erring on the side of caution, Kakashi decided to answer vaguely. "Yes, and so do you."

Itachi looked the same as he did in the past, although with a new set of stresses bothering him, no doubt. Based on his words, though, he still had not regained his memories which was gonna make this more difficult than he anticipated.

After what had happened to the Uzumakis and what they had warned him about, Kakashi had tread more on the path of caution. He was going to have to find a way to lead him to answers instead of telling him outright. It was safer that way.

"How long have you been aware of it?"

"A few years now."

Itachi looked to be thinking of what to say next, obviously wondering if he could trust Kakashi. "Any idea of what it is, exactly?"

He took a sip of his champagne. "Perhaps, but I suggest we save that for another time. Right now, I think it's only fitting to discuss something I think would need your attention."

"And that would be?"

"Ito Shimura has been hounding Uchiha Corp. for years now, hasn't he? Why do you think he has such an interest in your family's business?"

From curiosity to wariness, Itachi narrowed his gaze. "Whether or not that is true, that is private information."

"You have your sources, I have mine. Yours, though, have done pretty well assuring that he or anyone he's closely affiliated with won't be able to purchase any stock from Uchiha by issuing more stock to current investors." He looked at Itachi. "Such faith in these investors of yours?"

"Quite."

"I'm not trying to be hostile, Uchiha-san. I'm just admiring how you can fend off someone like Shimura for so long."

"Uchiha Corp. is a thriving company and does not need to stoop so low as to let ourselves be associated with someone like Shimura." His voice sounded leveled, but Kakashi could hear the undertone of contempt within them.

"Which just makes it even more admirable considering Shimura doesn't play fair."

"Where are you going with this?"

"Shimura has set his eyes elsewhere."

Intrigued, Itachi relaxed. "Oh?"

"He still has an interest in Uchiha Corp., however right now he's laying focus on a little town in Northern Japan."

"He wants property?" Itachi still wasn't sure if speaking to this man or taking any of the information he's been providing without even mentioning a price for them was safe. But why would he divulge so much without him even asking?

"Maybe. Who knows?" Another sip. "What I do know is that he also wants something from a small village called Maiso."

Hearing the name made Itachi uneasy, though he did good in hiding it.

His family has had a long history with that town. In fact, it wasn't all history. They had a cottage in the mountains nearby, passed down for generations. For some reason, the family never wanted to part ways with the place, and that included him.

When his parents had passed, he and his brother had acquired almost everything from them, the company, their money, and their properties. One of them being the said mountain abode. His parents never took him or his brother to the home, so once he had learned about it, he took it upon himself to check on it.

The moment he stepped foot on the mountain grass, he felt something within him stir. It was unnerving. Stepping foot on the cottage itself felt like he was about to unearth some of his parents well hidden secrets. He knew his parents had kept things from him, but he had no idea as to why they'd never mentioned a house in the mountains.

He spent the day there, wandering about. It looked like it had been cleaned just recently. How, he didn't know. The news of his parents' deaths had made waves all over Japan as well as some news outlets internationally. And based on the receipts he had obtained, nowhere did it say something about housekeeping.

He had never stepped foot in the cottage again.

He looked at the man he was speaking to. Kakashi was definitely more than what the public had said about him. Itachi was just unsure as to why the man was telling him anything. "What are you here for?"

"I'm just here to help."

Before Kakashi could elaborate or Itachi could press for more, the two had felt a surge of energy enter the room, as if it had just come out of nowhere. If it was approaching, they wouldn't have been caught so off guard, but it just appeared, as if materializing out of thin air into the body of a man in a black suit. It was no surprise to either of them that Ito Shimura was going to appear at the event.

However, the energy didn't belong to him.

It was coming from the man behind him.

Long dark hair. Wicked gold eyes. The palest complexion either of them had seen.

Itachi didn't know where the immediate feeling of repulsion and dislike had come from, but it was very present.

Kakashi just stood beside him, glaring at the man he had once known.

Despite the fact that in his later years, he had been somewhat of an ally, the feeling of his chakra was exactly how it was like when he had decided to kill his own sensei.

Sensing his glare, the man met his eyes and stared back at him with a slimy, snake-like grin.

Orochimaru had also been reborn.

* * *

 **Present**

* * *

Deep, dark blue was the sky, covered by thousands of glittering diamonds that surrounded the large silver full moon that reflected the sun's light. Nothing by the sky illuminated the dark forest, the stars seemingly creating a path for the lost, the moon, their beacon of hope.

But those lost wouldn't be able to see the set path, their eyes covered by their very own lids, a punishment, it seemed, bestowed to those who didn't deserve to be punished.

And yet, those who stood awake, weren't aware of the path that was set. They knew there was one, but they weren't aware of just how close it was.

Two eyes stared wistfully at the dots of light that twinkled above as he stood on a tree branch, hidden within the darkness, his left side leaning on the large trunk. He had a hunch something like this was going to happen. Knowing them, they were bound to go off on their own.

Back then, he'd leave them be because he knew they were more than capable of handling themselves. But this time was different. No one knew what cards were being dealt, what exactly was at stake. So he'd have to be more vigilant, treat them as if they were younger than they were.

In a way, they were. They had a naivete that resembled their genin days before anything was truly at stake. Well, before they were aware anything _was_ at stake.

At this moment, though, they did know something was on the line, but they weren't ready for it. Far from it.

Perhaps this was a chance to fix his past mistakes. Look after them better.

He thought of it that way.

He saw light coming from below him, illuminating a new path.

Squatting down, he made sure he wouldn't be seen as he witnessed his three former students making their way through the forest.

The darkness surrounded them, two flashlights the only things illuminating their way, the moon half covered by the night clouds. Nothing but the soft rustles of leaves and the occasional snapping of twigs beneath their feet could be heard as the group made their way to their destination. Despite the nighttime view, the air remained warm and became warmer as they moved closer to the research site.

"Naruto, what are we doing?" Sakura asked the man leading the way, his hand firmly on the flashlight and face forward, focused on what was ahead.

"You said the authorities couldn't find Nekobaa-chan's home. Well, I call bullshit! We're heading there ourselves!"

Toma, the black cat right next to Naruto, meowed his agreement.

"Don't you think we should have told someone we were heading out? What if something happens?"

"Don't worry, Sakura-chan, I'll protect you!" Naruto turned back and beamed at her.

"That's not exactly going to make her feel better, dobe," Sasuke said, his eyes narrowing at his best friend.

Naruto turned to face him, an annoyed pout gracing his lips. "We have magic energy thingies, now. I'm sure we can take on whatever might happen."

"Energy we don't exactly know how to use." Sasuke retorted. Although beneath his ire, he did agree with the whiskered young man. Something was up, and if no one had answers, they might as well get it themselves. Still, it would have been nice to have an actual plan, instead of running off without one.

Naruto waved it off. "I'm sure we can figure it out!"

Sighing, Sakura shook her head. "Please don't let that jinx us."

Following closely, Kakashi leaped from tree to tree, shielding his chakra from being sensed and making sure he was as quiet as possible. He had the urge to chuckle hearing their conversation. So nostalgic, so fitting.

He didn't, though, because the closer they had gotten to the research site, the more vigilant the former ANBU became. It definitely did get warmer, though not to an alarming extent. Yet. He could tell they noticed, too.

"Sakura-chan, was it always this... hot around here?"

Sakura shook her head. "It was always warm, but it definitely feels different."

Sasuke extended an arm, stopping the two from continuing forward. "Wait, the lights are on."

Where the site was located, lights were bright, illuminated when most of the people residing there were either on night shift or asleep. Sakura found it odd. The lights would usually be on in the medical tents, but the resting cottages looked to be bright, as well.

The group hid behind a large tree trunk when they got close enough, hearing the commotion. People were already leaving the site. Doctors and researchers with their belongings waiting for the trucks that were taking them back to the helipad. Sakura could only imagine their shock and disappointment at how things ended.

Sakura's mind went to how her mentor was managing in such a tempestuous situation. How was everyone else dealing with the sudden end? By the looks of the people she did see, they didn't look too happy. Some wore fatigued expressions, others disappointed. And then, there were those that looked obviously angry. That certainly must not have been fun to deal with.

She expected this trip to be a learning experience of the medicinal sort. Though it had been enlightening, it wasn't in the area she was expecting. Maybe it was a wake up call, she thought. All her life, she always felt as though she was just going through it, investing everything she had into her future, to a calling she was certain was her choice, instead of actually living in it.

But maybe it wasn't. Maybe it was a beacon calling her to relive a life that belonged to her. To say she was conflicted was an understatement. The security she felt just a few weeks ago had started chipping away and completely left her bare in just a week. Was everything she had strived to achieve, her advancement in her classes, the fact that that was what allowed her to even go to this trip to begin with, all because of whatever life she had lived? Did she even have to struggle as hard as she did to get where she was now?

It was all too much to think about. She didn't want to feel like she had just been handed the chances she did just because of a life lived that she didn't even remember, but the thoughts, the insecurities kept piling into her subconscious.

She felt a shoulder lightly nudge her upper arm and turned to it's owner.

Sasuke nodded to the back of them, signalling her to follow as they try to hide from the crowd. Naruto was already a little farther back, Toma now on his shoulders as they both stared at her, waiting.

Sasuke... Naruto...

The connection she had felt with the two young men was too real to deny. Their presence made her realize something had been missing. Naruto, with his easy going nature and tenacity, made her feel like he was a long lost brother, someone she could rely on and someone she could talk to, a warm, inviting force that knew what to say to lighten the mood. But she had a sense that there was an underlying seriousness to the man she hadn't yet witnessed in its entirety.

Then, there was Sasuke. She couldn't deny that the connection she felt towards Naruto was different to what she felt with Sasuke. He wasn't as open as Naruto, but she couldn't explain how when his eyes stared back at hers, she could understand what he wanted to say, what he wanted to convey, even without speaking a single word. It sounded preposterous, but that was the sensation of when onyx met emerald.

Even in her dreams, her past memories that trickled into her subconscience that were trying to wake the soul that rested within her, she felt the intensity of when their eyes met. She had yet to figure out whether or not that was her dreams telling her to be wary or to dive in and trust him. Because a pull that strong could either light a fire within her or absolutely, devastatingly break her.

Sakura turned to the commotion in the site once more, the dread filling up in her throat as she focused on the tents that the comatosed patients still occupied. There was a way to help them, there had to be, and even though it unfortunately had to come to a turn, all hope was not lost. She had to bury away her fears, if not for her, then for what was at stake. She'd worry about everything else later.

Turning to the two men, she caught Sasuke's eyes. A silent questioning look she answered with a determined one of her own. Nodding he begins to walk and so does she, looking at the backs of the two men before walking faster to walk alongside them.

For a second, she thought she saw a faint outline of crests embroidered on the backs of their shirts.

* * *

Tsunade stood just before the makeshift anteroom and stared at the movement of people beginning their leave. The entire situation was all kinds of fucked up in her book, but there was no other way. Apart from the newly formed group of people based at the Uchiha cottage, there was no one else she could trust with this situation.

Rubbing her hands on her face, she let out a groan of exasperation. Things weren't going as she had originally planned. Though, a lot of questions about herself and what she now knows as chakra have been solved to an extent, more questions have popped up and to top it all off, the patients she'd looking after for months are being forcefully taken away from her care by a man who she knew didn't care at all about what would happen to them.

How he got the power to oversee her private study in the first place, she didn't know. The first month of the mission was free of the vermin, but somehow he had taken the reins via government meddling, something she was promised wouldn't happen. She should have known better than to believe that.

She didn't know what was behind his fixation on Maiso to begin with, but now, after some puzzle pieces have returned to their respective places, she wondered if he had a hand on what had transpired with the people of Maiso.

Before she could think more on it, she heard a cough making her turn towards the woman standing behind her.

" _Villanueva._ " She greeted.

The doctor had her arms crossed. " _I'm not going to continue my hounding on what in the world the government here thinks we can't do because that'd be beating a dead horse._ " Her eyes narrowed, studying her. " _And I do appreciate wanting to mentor Haruno, but I do want to know how you got the okay from the university so fast._ "

" _She has shown the drive, and I think she's a very promising young medic._ " Tsunade answered truthfully, although it was not the whole truth of Sakura's staying in Japan. She was perplexed as to why Villanueva looked distrustful of her answer.

" _I have no doubt in her abilities, however considering the timing, I find it odd._ _You're a revered doctor, Tsunade, but I do wonder about how easy that came to you. If you're teaching that young girl anything, it better keep her hands clean._ "

A vein popped on her forehead. " _Just what are you insinuating? That I cheated my way to where I am today? Never took you as someone who'd resort to name calling and baseless accusations._ "

" _Money and power can get you anywhere, Senju. You and I both know that._ " She didn't say anything more and walked away.

She didn't let the harsh words bother her. God only knew how many times she's heard that accusation. But the way she said a single word made her pause.

 _Power_.

The venom in that single word.

What did that woman know?

* * *

"What-" Toma stood on his paws, staring at the empty patch of grass hidden within the forest, his voice quiet and pained. "This is where Nekobaa's house was! This is..."

"It's like it never happened..." Sakura stared wide eyed at the seemingly empty space, but she felt it. She knew this was the place. But there was nothing there. The rangers were right. But how could they clean it up so fast? And out of nowhere?

"Shimura definitely had it cleaned up real fast to avoid something." Naruto scowled as his feet walked over the grass. Despite it being empty, he sensed the remainder of fear and terror that lingered.

He had met Shimura once, when he was a child with his parents. His parents didn't seem too fond of him either. And even at that young an age, he already knew not to trust someone who just brought forth such discomfort. And it wasn't just that, he swore he heard whispers in his mind not to ever speak to the man again.

He didn't think too much of it then, but then it occurred too him, was it the fox trying to talk to him?

He'd have to ask once he knew how to actually bring him up again.

"What did that guy have against Nekobaa?"

Toma shook his head, a silent answer as the cat continued looking around in despair.

A rustling of leaves caused Sasuke to turn to where he heard the source. "Someone's here!"

A gunshot broke the silence as the group had hastened to be closer to each other. Sasuke tried to grab something from his side, only to grab at air. It was involuntary, as if he just expected it to be there in a situation like this. He scoffed. This is the first in this lifetime he had ever experienced something of this nature.

Two figures emerge out of the shadows, both in clean and crisp tuxedos. One of them had scratches at the side of his face, the scar seemingly new.

"I knew we missed one." They eyed the black cat that had climbed back onto Naruto's shoulder.

"I'm pretty sure that's animal cruelty," Naruto stated, wary.

The man shrugged. "A job's a job, kid."

Then, he aimed. His finger on the trigger.

All of a sudden, out of the trees, a familiar head of grey appeared in front of them, grabbing the man's wrist and aiming upward as the bullet shot out of it.

"Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto exclaimed in shock, the other two frozen as they had just witnessed the man appear out of nowhere in a speed they hadn't thought possible.

He didn't look back to them, his hand still on the assailants wrist. "Stand back," he warned them.

Grabbing the gun, Kakashi throws it out of reach, proceeding to twist the man's arm and pulled it behind him making him bend forward and scream in pain. Kakashi used his elbow and hit him in between his shoulder blades, causing the man to fall to his knees, his breath now coming in short gasps before his consciousness left him.

The man's partner now had his gun aimed at Kakashi.

With incredible speed, he had showed up behind him and with his palms flat, striked both sides of his neck and used his right wrist to twist it slightly before striking with the side of his left palm. The man slid down to his knees and fell face first onto the ground, unconscious.

Just before he could relax, his head turned to his left, feeling the sudden appearance of an unfamiliar energy, unfamiliar heat.

"You four, get behind me, now!"

They didn't move immediately, still stunned from his entrance, but as they had recognized the unfamiliar signature of heat, they quickly followed.

"Quite interesting..."

It was a man's voice, one vaguely familiar.

Emerging from the shadows, half of his body shown through the reflection of light from the moon, was a man in a black coat, his face covered by a white mask. From where he was standing, Sasuke could see two small holes where his eyes should be, but in the lack of light and from their distance, he couldn't see them.

Something inside him told him to stand his ground, absentmindedly hoping to grab a hold of something that was not with him. He glared at his left hand, not understanding why it'd assume something would be.

Then, like a flash, appearing in his mind for just a brief moment, an image of his hand grabbing onto the hilt of a sword. A katana.

He clutched his forehead, a sharp pain breaking him away from the image. His eyes were wide as they focused on the grass beneath his feet. A katana, that's what he was hoping to grab onto.

It was a trivial thing, but it was something else about his past that could maybe clue him in to the rest of his memories.

Kakashi didn't let his brief moment of shock show. He knew who the man was.

Gritting his teeth, his mind let out a curse. _'Of course, this was never going to be easy.'_ He looked at the masked man. ' _He must not have regained his memories. He wouldn't side with them if he did._ '

"You three, don't get within five meters near him."

Naruto could feel the masked man's chakra and couldn't help but feel like he knew him, like he wasn't going to hurt them. But he heeded Kakashi's warning. Nodding, he walked backwards to get behind his professor. Sakura and Sasuke followed suit.

Sakura thought about why Kakashi was so specific with how far they should be distanced away from the masked man but put that thought away for later. She knew, if anything, it was a question he'd refuse to answer due to their predicament.

Seeing that the three were now behind him, he shifted his focus back to the newcomer. "What business do you have here?"

"I could ask you the same question." He didn't move. He stayed where he stood, half covered by darkness.

He may not have been able to see his eyes but Naruto knew he was studying him. He did, as well. Studying his chakra and came to the realization that he knew him. He had to have known him.

"You," the man said slowly, letting the word linger. "Who are you?"

"Right back at you."

"Naruto," Sakura hissed under her breath. "Don't-"

Despite the distance, he had somehow heard her. "Naruto, huh?"

It was quiet, no one choosing to say anything. The man broke the short silence. "Leave. That is your last warning."

And as quickly as he came, he walked back into the shadows and disappeared.

Noe one moved for a few heartbeats until they felt it was safe.

Kakashi was perplexed. Why didn't he strike? It seemed like it was his intention when he had arrived. Maybe...

Looking behind him, Naruto was standing in between the other two, his eyes showing the familiar fierce determination. Did seeing him trigger something?

Sasuke, even in their situation, looked the most composed of the three. His eyes studying him warily. "You were following us?"

"Had to look after you three." Shrugging, Kakashi walked towards them. "I thought it was common knowledge that heading out into a dark forest at night was a bad idea."

"So why didn't you just stop us?" His lack of answer told him enough. "You think letting us do whatever is going to trigger our memories?"

Sakura's breath caught in her throat, something Kakashi didn't miss. He raised a brow.

"So," she started. "If you were following us, why didn't we sense you?"

A valid question. "I suppressed it."

"You can do that?"

Nodding, he directed his attention to the entire group. "Once you get your memories back, the things you were able to do will come back to you like muscle memory, but it will take a toll on your bodies because they aren't used to that amount of foreign energy built up to execute certain things."

"Are you sure you should be telling us this? I thought you weren't supposed to say anything but this whole thing?" Naruto had come back to his senses.

"I said we weren't to interfere with the reclaiming of your memories, which I haven't done."

Sakura looked at her hands, her right one specifically, the one that had crushed her phone a few hours ago. She was tempted to mention it, but she knew he couldn't answer it any way. She only could assume that whatever power she had before was what was beginning to show now.

She turned to Naruto. He mentioned speaking to a fox inside of him. Whatever that could mean, she didn't know. Perhaps he could talk to animals? It sounded crazy, but she couldn't rule anything out at this point.

When she had first arrived to the Uchiha cottage and sensed their chakra, she remembered feeling that everyone's chakra felt different to one another. Did that mean that was what their power was? Or did it mean it represented who they were as a person?

She thought back to the short glimpse she had gotten of Shimura when he entered the site earlier in the day and the wicked feeling of apprehension that entered her body momentarily. Whether it was what power it represented or if it represented a person's will, Shimura was definitely not a good person.

"Kakashi-sensei, who was that?" Naruto folded his arms.

The older man thought about how to answer, but every answer he could think of would only add to the list of questions his past students would bombard him later that he would not be able to answer. Instead of an answer, he remained silent instead.

Naruto eyed the man suspiciously. He knew Kakashi knew something but perhaps it was safer not to know for now. He, himself, had too many questions floating through his mind. But the man that had just left, he had to be someone important. Naruto knew, deep within himself, he knew him.

"Now that you guys are here, what do you plan on doing next?" Kakashi asked, finally breaking the silence.

"We just wanted to know if what the rangers that Sakura-chan called said was true," Naruto answered. "And why in hell would they want to kill a defenseless old lady?"

Kakashi folded his arm and rubbed his chin with his thumb. "So you're here for clues?"

Sakura nodded at the man and turned her attention to their surroundings, the two men Kakashi had knocked out still unconscious on the ground.

She couldn't help but stare, a replay of what had occurred playing in her mind, astonished at how fast Kakashi had rendered them defenseless. If that was just an introduction of what he was capable, what were the three of them capable of? What was she capable of?

She lifted her right hand, inspecting the lines of veins on her palms. Her fingertips meeting her palm, she curled her fingers into it, turning it into a fist. She knew she could heal, that she still couldn't fully wrap her head around. Still, it felt more likely considering the size of her hands. But then she thought back to how her phone broke in that very palm.

To heal.

To hurt.

Two sides of the same coin.

While Sakura stood, distracted by her own thoughts, Sasuke walked around the small, open patch of land. It felt too familiar. He's been having the same feeling since arriving in Maiso. Itachi had told them the reason why, but why was Maiso in particular such a catalyst for their lost memories, of lives they had supposedly lived?

Every step he took, inspecting the grass underneath the moon above them, suddenly felt heavier than the last, glitches of stone floors bathed in crimson, wooden walls tainted by the stench of iron. He stopped, clutching his head, now heavy with burdens long thought to be gone.

His eyes were shut as he tasted iron on his tongue and felt a sharp pain in his eyes. A cough escaped his lips as he struggled to keep his balance.

Naruto and Kakashi cut their conversation short, hearing the Uchiha's sudden coughing fit. Sakura's thoughts were cut short by the sound, as well, as she rushed to his side.

As quickly as Sakura grabbed the Uchiha's hand as he fell on his knees, Naruto and Kakashi were by his side, too.

"Sasuke, what's going on?" Naruto gripped his shoulder.

Sasuke tried to answer, but the only thing heard were grunts of pain.

Sakura, worried, thought back to Toma's instructions when he instructed her to heal him. She had to focus. He was in pain and seeing it made her heart wrench.

 _"Your body knows..."_

She focused on her hand, hoping the energy, the chakra, would know where to go. It took a few moments of willing her body to figure it out, but it happened. She felt heat moving towards her palm, like a rush of heat in her veins moving to where she wanted them to move.

Eyes opening, she looked at her palm, now within the green capsule of energy, its glow lighting the space with its color. Calming her breath, she placed her palm on the left side of his face, hoping it would help ease the pain.

She didn't know what she was doing, but it's worked before, and it looked to be working now.

Gradually, Sasuke's breathing steadied, and the strong grip he had on his head shifted to a cradle. A single blood tear ran down his cheek from his left eye, telling her the source of his pain. Or at least, one source.

No one said a word as Sasuke's pain began to ebb. Sakura held onto his shoulder, no longer hovering a hand over his head. As the blood tear landed on the grass, staining it red, Sasuke opened his eyes.

Concern flooded Naruto's face, crouching closer to his best friend, he held his other shoulder, mouth a thin line as he took in the sight before him.

One eye, red and black, similar to Itachi's yet with a different pattern. His other eye, however...

"It's purple?"

Sakura took this moment to study the pattern of his left eye. Six tomoes and rings surrounded his pupil, as if it were Saturn. Itachi's eyes were more similar to that of his right. How important was this difference? Will this cause Sasuke as much pain as it inflicts on his older brother?

With a blink, his eyes were back to their onyx color, no trace of the different hues they were just seconds ago.

Kakashi observed this with interest. Naruto had already began speaking with the Nine Tails and with Sasuke's eyes, it gave him the inclination that Sasuke wasn't too far behind the Jinchuriki in regaining his memories. But that left Sakura.

He looked at his only female student, a face filled with confusion and fret. She was still coming to terms with her healing abilities and her strength had just began showing. Perhaps it was going to take a while, which made sense to the older man. Her body was most likely still trying to save up enough chakra for her Byakugo seal that has yet to appear.

He just hope things don't get too complicated to hinder that because having all three of them regain their full power was more than enough to ensure they'd defeat whatever was coming at them. But knowing all too well who his students were and are bound to be, things were never going to be too easy.

He looked up, eyeing the moon as clouds move over it, dimming its light.

"We should head back," he mutters into the darkening night.

There was much to plan.

* * *

As the group wordlessly headed back to the Uchiha cottage, their four legged companion stayed behind, searching for anything that could be of evidence of the grisly murder he knew took place in the now clear, grassy area.

Crinkling of leaves, twigs breaking beneath feet. Someone was coming.

Before the cat could hide, faster than humanly possible, a tall man appeared before the black cat.

He recognized the chakra signature.

Before he could speak, he caught sight of his eyes despite the dark.

"Your eyes," he spoke. "They're cl-"

He was cut off. No more words were heard. No one else would be there to hear it anyway.

* * *

Shikamaru never cared enough to overthink. He'd usually let things happen as they did. Sure he'd complain if he thought it superfluous, but he's never go out of his way to prevent what he thought would be inevitable. He'd do the same for his current situation, if only things weren't so unpredictable now.

He sighed as he witnessed the four enter the cottage again from the balcony. They were a colorful bunch, he noticed. Grey, raven, blonde, and, get this, pink, of all colors. He had an inkling as to what they were doing out that late, but decided not to go down there and ask for confirmation. It felt like it was bound to happen with a group like that.

Despite his surroundings, he knew that tranquility was not going to last. The tranquil, serene nature around them was hiding something bigger within its beauty, a beast waiting to be unleashed.

He shouldn't complain. He knew something was bound to happen, and he did come in order to search for answers. He never considered himself one to believe in old folk tales, but the story of Maiso felt too close to home to ignore, too important to chalk up to silly word of mouth passed on from generation to generation.

There was history here. History he was a part of in his past life, a past life he was just made aware of just a few hours ago. It sounded preposterous, but he knew, deep inside, it made sense. His odd dreams, knowing people he just met deeper than just knowing their names. It wasn't coincidence.

If his theory was right, Maiso is the board, and they were mere pieces in a game they didn't know who they were playing against. It couldn't just be Shimura. He was a threat, yes, but he couldn't be the final boss. No, there was someone pulling the strings. Shimura had to be used as the pawn because of his position in the government, that much Shikamaru could deduce because of his too public behavior and sudden appearance in Maiso. He came in himself, to oversee whatever was going on in that research site. It seemed too hands on.

He caught his shadow beneath his feet, catching a small movement that couldn't have been a reflection of his movement.

If the Uchihas had their mystical eyes, he had some sort of power with shadows. Knowing Kakashi and Itachi were the only ones with fully reclaimed memories, maybe they could have a way to go around the memory reclamation clause and train them to further speed up the process.

As if summoned by his thoughts, Kakashi appeared behind him.

"Those three always knew how to get into trouble."

"It's not the least bit surprising." Shikamaru didn't turn. He just stood there, eyes out into the trees, arms folded. "Find anything."

"No, but something found us." This made him curious. "A masked man appeared. I can't say much, but I know he's on the wrong side."

"Wrong side?"

"Things have gotten more complicated," he said, walking forward to stand a short distance next to him. "So we may have to speed things along."

"How so?" He finally turned to face him.

"Tomorrow, noon. It's time to train all of you."

"Hm," he hummed. "I was just thinking of the same thing. Will it do anything considering the fact that you're not supposed to say anything about our memories."

"It'll be tricky to reteach you all things you should know without referencing our past lives, but you all need to train. We can't afford to keep waiting."

Shikamaru heard the underlying message Kakashi was saying. He was hoping this training will speed the process along. He sighed. "This is such a drag."

* * *

Sakura stared at the two other people in the room. She sat in the couch in the second floor living room, Sasuke chose to stand by the wall and Naruto had chosen the ground as his seat, sitting cross legged on the wooden floor.

The Uchiha had his hands in his pocket, eyes down as he was deep in thought. Sakura studied his features. She could tell by the way his eyes narrowed that he was upset, about what she wasn't one hundred percent sure. She knew it had to do with his eyes. Her hunch was that he was trying to figure out what exactly they do.

Naruto was probably wondering the same things, his eyes trained on his best friend. All they had were mountains of questions that could only be answered when they regain their memories. A part of her wished that they'd just come back already instead of haunting her in her sleep, but another part of her was glad they were taking their time. She didn't want this to feel like it was only fate that strung them together, only fate that made them friends.

She liked to think that they were becoming friends because it happened organically. Everything felt too foreign to her now that she wished for a sliver of normalcy, despite knowing that that wouldn't be happening, not after everything that's happened.

"You okay, Sakura-chan?" Naruto broke the silence, noticing the worry written all over her face.

She looked up, surprised evident in her eyes. "Oh, yeah." She forced a smile.

That didn't cheer him up, though. He frowned, as did Sasuke, now looking at the young medic.

"What?" She blinked at their sudden attention.

"You're not a very good liar, Sakura-chan," he said, standing up.

That caught her off guard. "I'm-"

"He's right," Sasuke spoke, his low voice echoing through her ears. "Your face says it all."

She looked down, embarrassed that they caught her discomfort. "Sorry, it's just... It's a lot to digest."

"Tell me about it," Naruto walked over to the opposite side of the couch where she was and sat. "I thought this was only going to be a weekend trip. But hey, at least we all get to hang out!"

As always, he tried to make things lighter which Sakura appreciated, but the heavier thoughts outweighed the light.

Sasuke seemed to have thought the same thought because he rubbed his fingers onto his temples in irritation. "This is not exactly just a hang out. We get here and we suddenly have heavier baggage than we came here with."

"Well, it's better that we're actually finding out what's been going on in our lives now, at least." Naruto replied, a small smile forming on his lips. "It's hell of a lot better than having to guess all our lives what's wrong with us when we break something because we had some secret powers that we could never explain or dreams that feel really weird that I wake up crying because of it.

"I think that even though this is all pretty fucked up and weird and scary, at least we're all here together, right? I mean, I've basically known you my entire life, teme, and knew things even before you told me, which I always thought was kind of weird. And Sakura-chan just fits our group so much that it'd suck not to have her be with us at all. I know things happen for a reason and as crazy as everything is, I'm glad I'm with you two."

His smile grew wider as he continued to speak, filling the room with a brightness it lacked, a warmth that was inviting and familiar. Sakura couldn't help but smile back. Sasuke shook his head, but she knew he agreed with him.

"Anyway, we gotta help each other out now. Whatever is happening, we have to stick together, right, team?" Naruto paused, his thumb on his chin in thought. "What should we call ourselves? Ooh, Wildcats?"

"This isn't High School Musical, idiot."

"Wow, aggressive. Okay, asshole what would you call us, then?"

Sakura tilted her head. "Do we have to have a name?"

"Yes."

"No."

The two men glared at each other.

"You know what, we'll figure this out tomorrow. This guy needs a nap since he's being so mean."

"I wouldn't have to be if you knew when to shut up."

"See what I mean, Sakura-chan!"

"How about both of you go to bed?"

An exaggerated gasp. "Sakura-chan, you're being mean, too."

She shook her head. "You two are the ones bickering over nothing."

"What's all the commotion about?" Kakashi entered from the balcony door with Shikamaru following behind him. Instead of joining the conversation, Shikamaru decided to head to his guest room, not wanting to join in on the banter.

"Hey, Kakashi-sensei, they're being mean to me."

Some things really never change.

* * *

As the night went on, everyone retired to their rooms, getting ready for the day that was to come. Sakura, though, couldn't sleep and decided to head downstairs for some water.

She didn't think she'd see Sasuke doing the same.

"Couldn't sleep?" She asked as she watched him down a glass of water.

"Had too much to think about."

She nodded, feeling the same. Seeing the pitcher of water on the kitchen island, she grabbed a glass from a cabinet and proceeded to pour water into it.

"It's weird isn't it?" She asked. "This whole reincarnation thing."

He shrugged as she takes a sip of her glass. "Yeah. But it makes sense."

She raised a brow. "Does it? Even though I know it's true, now, it still sounds like a fairy tale to me."

"What else could explain the weird dreams." It wasn't a question.

"You're right. It's just..." She set the glass down on the island. "I don't know, it's just confusing."

He nodded but didn't offer a reply. He didn't have one.

"Do you think if this wasn't all," she paused to look for a word. "If this wasn't all just because of some weird twist of fate, that we'd all actually get along, that we'd be friends?"

So that was what was eating her. Sasuke had noticed her hesitance and confusion through this all. She had a lot to think about: her patients left at the research site, the murder she witnessed, a past life she was not aware of until today.

He had no idea why she was so uncomfortable with the past life aspect of this whole ordeal, so instead of saying something, he stood and he listened to her woes.

"Like I feel like I've known you for forever, which turns out, is kind of the case. But I don't want to just feel that way because I have to, you know. What if we're completely different people from who we were back then?"

He knew she meant in a general sense, but he sensed an underlying meaning beneath them. He knew it, too. There was something between them, it was obvious in his dream where he would see glimpses of her and feel the warmth she made him feel within himself, something that he had never felt before.

They had history. But he could understand her hesitance. She didn't want to feel like the friendships she was forming was all because they had to happen, that whatever was between her and him was only because it was supposed to happen. He understood it, but he didn't necessarily agree with her worries.

Call it whatever, but Sasuke just knew that whatever this was, it would have happened regardless. He scoffed at the thought. The dobe was rubbing off on him.

He found himself walking towards her, inching closer until they were inches away from each other. "Whatever happens now, it happens regardless of the past."

Her breath hitched. Though he wasn't too close, she could feel him, his heat, his entire being. She looked up at him. Eyes that have been etched in her mind, eyes she's already memorized looked right through her. "What makes you say that?"

"If anything were to happen, it inevitably falls on us to decide it."

They didn't move. They didn't speak. They didn't need to. All they needed was emerald and onyx.

Even though she still had her doubts, she knew he was right. It was up to them. It didn't matter that they were all bound by their pasts. What they do now was their decision.

Still, the uncertainty lingered within her, but for now, she was aided by the onyx eyes that somehow calmed her nerves.

* * *

He looked at himself in the mirror.

For years he thought what he was doing was right, but one look at the people he had seen in his dreams and all his certainty went out the window.

He had begun questioning himself for a while now, but one name, one set of blue eyes had triggered something within him.

Eyes he thought were an abomination that formed his childhood stared back at him, a cacophony of emotions within them.

He never liked his reflection before.

And he certainly didn't now.

* * *

It was his back again.

She was staring at him walking away, his back towards her. Again.

She felt her teeth dig into her bottom lip, tears threatening to flow as she recalled that painful night.

The moon was full, like it was then. It seemed to always watch over them when he would walk away. Why did he feel so far away when he was only a few feet away from her?

She had to stop him. She can't let him leave like this again.

"I know in my heart there's nothing I can do!"

She felt the tears relentlessly flowing down her cheeks. His feet stopped, keeping him in place.

"I can only whine and beg and cry like this again." She scoffed. "It's so pitiful, isn't it?"

Her heart physically ached. Her chest tight, her lungs fighting to keep her breathing. Everything just hurt.

"If there's even a little corner of your heart that thinks about me, please don't leave again!"

She can sense her teammates' eyes on her, witnessing her breaking down, begging him to stay, hoping a part of him would stop and remember who he was, who she knew was still there underneath all the pain and the torture he had to endure.

He turned around slowly. She caught sight of his new Rinnegan, a smirk playing on his lips.

"You're..."

The small pause already hurt. She knew the words were coming.

"Really annoying."

It was painful, even moreso than the first time he had said it in this setting. But she felt something new, pulsing, enveloping her in a different, more deep cutting pain.

Will she ever be enough?

Her chest ached even more, her mouth was dry, her mind went blank.

His hand went through her chest, an electrifying pulse went through her body.

She knew he would always have her heart.

She just never thought he'd end up having it this way.

* * *

Sakura sat up, awake from her nightmare. Beads of sweat rolled down her face, as did the tears from her eyes.

She shivered, the cold overwhelming her as she sobbed into her hands.

' _Sasuke... He-_ '

She didn't stop crying until the rays of the morning light invaded her room.

* * *

 **Note:**

And she updated!

This is it for Genesis, so we now move on to the middle part of the series: Thallo.

Hope y'all are doing well in this time in the world. Sending love to all of you.

Now we get to the meat of the story and huhuhu Sakura gets the genjutsu dream. How do you think that's going to affect SasuSaku going forward? I told yall there was gonna be angst.

Also Naruto being a ray of sunshine i love him so much.

I also wanted to do a reversal in this story. In Naruto, Sakura was always the one doing the waiting. Here, I wanted Sasuke to be the one to do the waiting.

And Kakashi just wants his kids happy yo.


	12. (Thallo) Interlude II: Overture

**Note:**

" talk " - The characters are speaking in Japanese.

 _" talk " -_ The characters are speaking English.

' _talk_ ' - The characters are thinking.

More notes at the end of the chapter.

* * *

This chapter is unedited. (5/27/20)

* * *

 **Eternal**

 **Part Two: Thallo**

* * *

 **Interlude II**

 **Overture**

* * *

The weather had been kind to them for the past few weeks on their travel. Day after day the sun would rise, not a cloud hindering its rays, and the breeze would treat them benevolently with light, airy gusts that kept them cool. The vividness of the forest that surrounded them, that colored the grass on their path and the leaves that were high up on their branches that would eventually fall and meet their feet, were inviting their eyes to the beauty that nature offered.

She smiled. Perhaps it was because of who she was with that made her feel tranquil, or the new era of peace that had ushered in the land that absolved her of her nerves when they had first departed the village.

After long years of tension between villages, between ninja, that had come to a climax at the Third Great Ninja War, things have quieted down, and the world had never had peace such as this in what may have been centuries. And just like how time had waited for the sweet feeling of weapons being put down and treaties being signed, Sakura's patience had paid off, as well.

She shifted her head to glance at the man walking beside her. His hair was longer, covering his now purple eye from view, and the profile of his sharp features did nothing to quell the sensation that the sight of him did to her heart. But he was more than what the eye can perceive. He had been through tremendous loss, and of the full extent of his trauma, she knew not entirely, but she was willing to wait some more for him to divulge the severity of his truths when he was ready.

He was no simple man in that regard, she supposed. In his taste, his lifestyle, yes he was. But apart from that, his story, his mind, was a cavern that she had yet to explore in its entirety. She never expected him to tell her everything the moment, he had asked her to come with him after the two years she had not seen him. In fact, it was almost a shock that he even talked about some of the things he went through during the years he had defected the village to join Orochimaru.

Sakura had begun to piece some information together, though, as their journey continued. It had left her chest feeling heavy at the thought of what he had gone through. She could only imagine how heavy the weight of his past was on his mind. But at the moment, all she could do was be there for him, and wait until he was ready.

The people around her were unsure of her decision to wait for so long. She could understand that. However, they did not know him like she and Naruto and Kakashi did. The four of them, though not entirely together for a number of years, had something special between them, a bond that tied them together so tightly that it would be impossible to try and sever, no matter how many times Sasuke had tried.

A soft laugh escaped her lips at the thought.

"What's funny?" Sasuke spoke, his eyes moved to her direction as they continued their walk.

She shook her head. "Nothing. I was just thinking about the old days."

He said nothing. Instead, he raised a brow for her to elaborate.

"You know, how we were all so different at the academy." Her eyes moved to her feet. "It's kind of embarrassing to think about how I acted, then."

"We were children, then."

"I never would have thought that we'd have to go through what we did, but at the end of the day, I'm glad we ended up where we are."

"What brought this on?"

She looked at him, a soft smile gracing her lips. It was a gentle look he was beginning to etch into his memory. He liked that smile.

"I'm just thinking about what we had to do to get here."

His mind went a little differently than hers did. A flash of guilt invaded his thoughts. She, as well as the rest of team seven, had to fight their way into getting him back in the right state of mind. Years of his personal struggles had also affected them. He knew he was not entirely to blame. His circumstances were marred with stains of manipulation and lies that led him diving into a storm that he was not proud of falling into.

He had his sins to atone for, the sins that had made him walk away from his village a second time, but unlike the first time, he left with a lighter heart.

The night he had first left the village, all he could remember was how he felt like he had to cage his emotions and other things he deemed distracting away from his mind. Package and seal them away, so it wouldn't make him hesitate. That was the same night she found him by the gates.

He had been angry, at first, at the sight of her. He wanted to leave without notice, and yet she stood there before him, somehow having figured out his intentions.

He knew she was intelligent, observant. It shouldn't have come as a shock, but he knew now that it wasn't a momentary feeling of surprise at the sight of her. It was anger. He didn't want to have her there and beg him to stay. He was too caught up in his desire for power that nothing would have made him stay. But as her tears rolled on and her voice grew more and more desperate, he felt his resolve chip slightly. That was why he had to stop her.

She confessed that night. Though, he knew of her feelings towards him, he didn't know how deep they had become and if her words were truly what her heart was saying and not her desperation. Back then, he knew she was important to him, but to what extent, he didn't think it was to the same level that she had of him.

But now, years later, as the two of them walk side by side with no set destination, he had begun to notice so much more about his pink-haired teammate. She had grown from an unsure young girl to a confident force to be reckoned with. He was proud of her. He never said it out loud, but he hoped she knew.

The day he left after the war, she was there, too. But instead of tears, he left her with hope. And he had come back to fulfill his promise.

When he decided to go on this journey, he meant it when he said she had no part in his sins. Thinking back, he could understand how she could have misconstrued what he meant. That first part of his journey was to help him absolve himself of the sins he made as a ninja, to walk and see the world for what it has become in all ways, instead of the bleak lenses that had covered his gaze.

But he made her a promise. "Next time," he said then. His first journey was for him to realize the gravity and extent of his actions. When he came back to fulfill his promise to her, it was just as much for him as it was for her. He had caused her great grief and sorrow. He did things he regretted, and he still wondered why she thought so highly of him.

It was an alleviating feeling, though, her warmth towards him. After everything he did, everything they had gone through, she still gave him the benefit of the doubt. She still waited for him. What he did to deserve that patience, he did not know. He found himself grateful for it, either way.

They have been travelling together for almost a month now, and they both felt a shift in their relationship. What started as comfortable, albeit at times awkward, companionship had morphed into steady and natural back and forths. When he needed her help, she knew when to pitch in, and when she would ask him questions, he found himself unhesitatingly answer.

Small brushes of their fingers as they set camp or the lingering gazes they shared did not go past him. Being with her had felt all the more right. Sometimes they would have conversations, and though Sakura always led them, he appreciated hearing the passion in her voice as she spoke about the clinics she had started for orphaned children and the work she was so proud of.

As she felt his fingers brush hers, she felt a rise in heat on her cheeks. A finger lingered on her hand and she felt herself open her palm, inviting his. His fingers slowly intertwined with hers, and all she could do was have the corners of her lips curve up at the newfound warmth of his palm meeting hers. The heat in her cheeks intensified and she couldn't help but look away, a mixture of giddiness and shyness.

He didn't say a word. He continued looking straight, but he noted how small her hand was compared to his own. Yet, those hands could do more damage than a majority of ninja ever could.

She was all sorts of contradictions. Where her fists could cause the ground beneath them to shake, her fingers were delicate, her touch soft, healing. Where she could be loud, her voice would soften and soothe and empower an audience. Where her eyes could divulge her secrets, she was a kunoichi capable of uncovering secrets that are not her own.

Aside from that, there was one thing, one word he thought of that encompassed her being. Vibrant.

Where his life had been dark, there had been sparks of light that had helped him. One of them was the bright pink light she radiated. Even then, he knew she had grown important to him. Now, she still was, but in a way he didn't know how to describe.

What he did know, though, was that in that moment, with her slim fingers intertwined his, he felt content.

* * *

It was late afternoon, and the two found themselves near a small village where the homes looked small and quaint. On their way to village in search of an inn to stay in, Sasuke having thought a night on a bed would be a welcome change, they feel a commotion hidden behind the trees.

With one shared look, the two steady themselves, preparing for what's to come. Swiftly and silently, they made their way to the source and see an elderly woman surrounded by a three men.

"Now, I don't know you're spouting all that crap around the village, but it better stop," one of them said, eyes slanted, a threat in them.

"I have no clue what you mean, young man," she said, her voice not showing a hint of fear. Instead, it showcased rebellion.

"You know those ninja only cause nothing but trouble. To defend them like that is just stupid to do in front of us."

Sakura's eyes narrowed, listening intently to what they were saying.

"Without those ninja, we would be living in hell on earth by now, young men. You must admit that."

"Without those ninja, hell on earth wouldn't have been a possibility!" Another exclaimed, hands raised looking to assault the older woman.

Quicker than anyone could see, Sasuke appeared in front of the woman, grabbing the man's wrist with his only hand, his one visible eye showing the irritation he felt.

"What the-"

"Is this how you treat your elders around here?" Sakura appeared from the shadows, arms folded.

"Ninja," one growled with loathing dripping in his tone. "Your kind is not welcome around here."

Sakura ignored this. "We're not leaving until you leave her alone."

Sasuke's grip on the man's wrist loosened as the three of them stared at each other, the looks on their faces in a complicated twist.

One of them harrumphed. "Whatever."

As the three men walked away, Sasuke and Sakura stared at their retreating forms. They had known once they saw the situation that it was more than likely it wouldn't escalate, but the words they had overheard stuck in their minds.

In the month that they had been travelling together, this was not the first instance of a negative reaction to their presence. It was mostly due to Sasuke's that scared some people off, but this was the first that them being ninjas had roused such a reaction.

Sakura knew that there were people that didn't approve of the ninja lifestyle, that thought that people so young shouldn't have to fight for their life, but since the war had ended, she'd not encountered anyone so against the existence of ninja all together.

She saw something in Sasuke's eyes that told her that perhaps he had encounters similar before. She wondered why she hadn't heard of something like this from Kakashi, then remembered that for the past two years, her focus had shifted elsewhere. From getting the necessary funding for the children's mental health clinic and her promotion at the hospital, the only few instances that she had gotten out of the village were for the expansion of the children mental health facilities to other villages or a few diplomatic missions. Well, there was the time with Kido a few weeks before Sasuke's return.

"Thank you," a quiet, worn voice took her out of her thoughts, and Sakura looked at the old woman standing by the trunk of a tree. "Those kids have been insistent on their message being heard."

"It was no problem." She paused, taking her words in. "This isn't the first time?"

The woman smiled, her lips tight. "You both look tired. Why don't you come with me for some tea?"

* * *

The woman, who they learned was named Chie, lead them both to a home just on the outskirts of the small village. Though small, it was too big for the woman alone. Once they had gotten close enough, a teenage girl ran out of the front door and wrapped her arms around Chie.

"Grandma! I was getting so worried," she said. "You didn't get into trouble, did you?"

"I'm fine, Eiko. Had a little help."

Eiko realized the two stranger's presence as she let go of her embrace. Her brown eyes studied them, their appearance interesting her. The woman had hair a color peculiar to her, never having seen the shade other than when spring would arrive and the cherry blossoms bloomed. Her smile was inviting, her eyes kind. The man, though, looked scarier to her. Though from the side of his face she could see, he was handsome, but his presence was more intimidating.

The four of them entered the home, and Eiko began preparing tea by her grandmother's request. Sitting by the table, Sasuke felt out of place. In his travels alone, he had rarely stepped foot into an inn, let alone someone's home. He had become used to the feel of the ground as his bed. If he had been alone, he wouldn't have suggested going into town in search for an inn, but he wanted her to feel comfortable.

"So, what brings you two to these parts?"

"We're just travelling. No set destination, actually."

The woman raised her brow. "You're not rogues, are you?"

Sakura shakes her head. "Oh, no. No, we have permission from our village."

"And it's just the two of you? Is this a new honeymoon trend? Travel around on foot?"

She felt her face turn red with heat. "We're," she stuttered. "We're not-"

"Dating, then?"

Sakura had no idea how to answer the question, and Sasuke chose to remain quiet, as he usually would. If Sakura had to be honest, she didn't know how to answer that question to begin with. The dynamic between the two had changed the moment they stepped foot out of the village gates. Maybe even the moment he had showed up in front of her door and told her that he was home.

Neither tried to label anything, in fear of what the other would think. In a mere month, their hands have gotten used to the warmth of the other. Sasuke had learned that her smile was a sight he had begun to cherish after their previous encounters had always kept her face solemn and filled with concern. Sakura relished in his company, hearing him open up bit by bit and slowly tell her what he's kept to himself.

Some would say they were on accelerated time, having not seen each other for a long time. But with the life they had lived and the complexity of their situation, it seemed that this journey was just the beginning of a destination that was inevitable to come after the longest period of uncertainty.

Eiko entered the room and placed the teapot and teacups on to the table from the tray she had carried. "Grandma, you can't just be prying like that. Some couples like to be private."

"Not since after the war. Have you seen all the babies popping out of these kids these past few years?"

"Grandma!"

Sasuke wondered if it was too late to just leave, and Sakura seemed to find the empty wall on her right a very interesting sight.

"Alright. I was just curious. You don't see ninjas around these parts a lot."

"Ninjas?" Eiko looked at them as she took her seat. She figured the man was one, but she wouldn't have guessed the woman was. She had never met a ninja before, but he fit the description of ninja people had told her more than she did. She was going to ask them about it before she realized what had kept her grandmother so long. "Grandma, were you being bothered again?"

Chie waved it off. "I'm fine. These two showed up just in time."

"'Again'?" Sakura parroted, her hands on the small teacup. "This isn't the first time?"

Sighing, Eiko took a sip of her tea before answering. "Ninjas aren't very popular around here. They weren't to begin with, but ever since the war, the village has pretty much hated them. Grandma here doesn't share the same opinion."

"I was born in Konoha, after all."

This was interesting to Sakura. "What made you leave?"

She nodded, sipping from her cup. "I met my husband, then moved down here. We both wanted a quieter life, and Konoha's not exactly a quiet village. But yes, this village isn't particularly fond of ninjas."

"That's putting it lightly," Eiko muttered. "I heard Hachi's basically started an anti-shinobi group or something."

Sasuke began to listen more intently. Though his travels were mostly for him, he had found it within himself to send Kakashi some updates on the what's been happening outside the village. An anti-shinobi group may be a concern for the future, though in Sasuke's perspective, he wasn't sure how severe. At the moment, it sounded juvenile to him.

"Hachi's still angry about what happened to Megumi."

"Who wouldn't be angry when a war kills an innocent." Eiko stands. "I'll get some more tea."

The teapot was still half full.

Chie put her cup down, her head down. "I apologize for that. Eiko isn't as extreme as the people in the village, but she hasn't had a positive encounter with a ninja."

Sakura wanted to ask, but Sasuke's look told her not to press on it.

"Anyway, thank you for earlier. You two are welcome to stay here for the night."

She gave her a smile. "Thank you for the offer, but we couldn't impose."

"It wouldn't be an imposition, dear. If not for the night, just humor an old woman and stay here at least until the moon's out."

* * *

Sasuke and Sakura found themselves on the front porch of Chie's home, watching the sun's slow descent into the horizon as it was the moon's turn to shed light.

"I knew there were people that didn't like ninja, but I never thought about just how much we were loathed in some places."

Sasuke silently nodded. He had experienced people voicing their distaste of him after the war. He had done a lot to raise suspicions of his presence and he knew it was going to take a lot more than what he did to help end the war to change people's minds about him. Though, he didn't particularly care for what other's thought of him. His travels were more for himself than to change the public's opinion on him. He knew just how unfruitful chasing after approval could be.

For years, he had yearned for the approval of the dead, to avenge their unlawful killings, but he knew now that that caused more bad than good, both for others and himself.

He couldn't take back what he did. All he could do now is experience life in a way he never thought he could in the past.

He felt her hand on his, the rough feeling of her palm yet the gentle way he touched her provided him comfort. "You okay?"

"Yeah." He turned his palm up, and she gave him a soft squeeze.

The hand holding was new for both of them, but neither of them ever verbally talked about it. It just seemed like the natural progression for them.

Thinking about how to start this possibly difficult conversation, Sakura bit her lip before speaking. "When you were alone, just walking with nowhere to go. Did you ever run into something...?"

Sasuke knew where she was going with with this conversation. "A lot of people may not know how I look like, but I have had run ins with people who didn't like my presence."

"It didn't get too bad, did it?" She was worried.

"Nothing I couldn't take."

"I hope you didn't take whatever they said too seriously."

At this, he shrugged. "Their anger is not misplaced."

"I understand that, but you were in a different place then."

"I used to be in their position. I would have done what some of them did."

"Sasuke-"

"It's fine, Sakura. It was never anything I couldn't handle."

She brought a hand onto his cheek, cradling his face with a gentle caress. "You don't have to feel like you have to be someone's punching bag to atone for what you did, Sasuke."

He said nothing, instead choosing to speak to her the way they did best. Wordlessly. And just like that, it had felt like they were alone in their own world, just existing as two beings that held a lot of history, a lot of unspoken experiences and thoughts conveyed only by the depth of their gaze.

"Am I interrupting something?"

They both stiffened. Sakura hastily dropped her hand and turned away, embarrassment evident in her face. Sasuke looked more composed than she did, though the tip of his ears gave away that he, too, felt seen.

"Aw, young love. I remember being your age," Chie walked out to the porch. "Are you two getting ready to head out?"

Sasuke nodded. "Yes. Thank you for the tea."

She waved him off. "It was no problem."

Sakura, then, remembered Chie had something to say. "Earlier, you said you wanted us to wait to leave until the moon was up. Why was that?"

"Eiko's an early sleeper. I needed to have a word with you without her hearing." She said, her head turning up to the darkening sky. "She's not as extreme as the others, but she's still doesn't have a positive opinion on ninja."

"If you don't mind me asking, why is that?"

"Aside from the war killing her parents? It would be the fact that the Land of Fire officials don't care about the smaller villages. Most funds go to the larger villages, especially Konoha, to fund for the ninja. The ninja academy, the cost to have ninja be hired, the damages to pay for. The scars the battles leave don't just affect those physically hurt." A longing, wistful look graced her features.

Sakura knew of this. It was why she advocated for her mental health clinics to be more widespread, and slowly, it was getting there. She knew Ino and Shizune were taking care of it on her leave, but a part of her had felt guilty.

"But I don't believe prejudice is going to get anyone anywhere," Chie continued. "The war killed my son and his wife, but if I never stopped being angry, I would die with regrets I don't want to hold. But that's not exactly the only reason why I asked you two to come with me here."

Chie looked at the two of them, both a contrast in their coloring and yet they matched in a way she could not describe. Perhaps it was because they contrasted that they fit. "Peace is a wonderful thing, but it doesn't exactly last, doesn't it?"

Her words caught Sakura off guard. She was right, though, but that was certainly not what she was expecting.

"My advice for you two? Keep that connection. Even if you're apart, you'll find each other, and that's when you'll reach a potential you wouldn't have known you could reach." She smiled at the two of them. "There's an old story my grandmother used to tell me. There were two people that had been separated by death, one sent to the realm of the dead, and the other fought his way through it to find her again. Unfortunately, she could not leave the realm, and he had searched for her throughout. He entered the realm and found her, but he didn't realize it was her. She was angry and forcefully made him leave. The two never met again, but the anger remained. He was angry at himself, she at everything around her."

She laughed, her presence feeling otherworldly for a second. Sasuke took note of this. "And to think, they were two halves of a whole the entire time. A pair, lost without each other only because they had _chosen_ to be lost."

The night went on, and Sakura and Sasuke were camped a few miles away from the village. Sakura's back was to a large tree trunk, her mouth a thin line as the fire kept them warm. "Chie," She started. "Doesn't it feel like she was speaking in riddles?"

Sasuke nodded.

"And she felt a little... different towards the end, don't you think?" Sakura pursed her lips. "And on the guise of giving us relationship advice." She caught herself. "Not like I think that we-"

"Sakura," he stopped her.

She blinked. "What?"

Being on the opposite side of the fire, he walked to her side. He was only inches away from her, their faces a short distance away. Sakura had to tilt her head up to meet his eye. Nothing but silence between them and the moon bearing witness to the distance between them closing, their eyes closing, and their lips touching. A soft breeze had granted them cool air, their hair swaying, the moon congratulating them on the new point in their journey.

It was perhaps the moon's way of sighing, a breath of contentment. "Finally," it would say.

* * *

Hachi frowned at the unusually formed cave that he had discovered miles away from the village he lived, his brown eyes filled with confusion and wariness. He had been this way countless times, the area where the cave now stood was supposed to be a small hill.

Growing weary of its sudden appearance, he turned his back to it, deciding to take a different route back to the village, thinking it was safer to avoid it. Perhaps it was one of those pesky ninja again. He scowled.

Before he could walk away, something stopped him. A velvety voice, quiet, rich and smooth. She was singing. He did not understand the words, but it was captivating and familiar.

His heart skipped a beat. "Megumi," he whispered, his chest constricting at the memory of his dear wife.

The singing continued, and he turned around and took a step toward the cave.

"No!" He exclaimed, clutching his chest. But the voice continued, and despite his worries, he had found himself even closer to the cave.

Memories flashed in his mind. The day he met her, the day they were wed, the day she died. An avalanche of emotions invaded his being. The pain, the love, the warmth, the inexplicable cold. It was unbearable.

Just before the cave, he felt a sharp pain on the back of his neck and he fell onto the ground, consciousness slipping away. The last thing he saw was feet, bare but clean.

He would wake up in a few hours just a short walk away from the village, no recollection of how he got there.

He would never be the same.

* * *

 **Present**

* * *

Ito Shimura stared at the papers in front of him, searching for anything he could use in a case against the woman he thought was the bane of his existence. With every curveball he sent her way, Tsunade Senju would always end up on top. He needed something new. He needed something to keep her away from the research site. He knew kicking her out of the study would not be enough. She was definitely hiding something.

He heard the curtain move, telling him someone had just entered the tent.

"This better be good," he said, eyes not straying away from the papers.

"We found the servers."

Eyes widening, he turned his attention from the papers to the man in front of him. He stood, hands slamming onto the wood. "Have you found anything in it?"

"We know its location; however, hacking into it has proved to be a problem."

Grumbling, Ito sat back down. "What's the use of hiring people that don't do their job?!" He exclaimed, annoyed. "Well, where the hell is this piece of shit?"

A smirk. "Uchiha Towers."

"What?" Ito looked at the man. "You can't be serious."

A nod.

A bubble of laughter exploded from his chest out of his lips. "Senju, that bitch," he sneered. "Call for a meeting tonight. I'll be back in Tokyo in a few hours."

He bowed and turned away, his gray eyes glinting with darkness. For a moment, it looked like the brown they used to be long ago.

"Oh, and Kaiju?" Ito said before he left the tent. "Before I forget."

"Yes, sir?"

"I need you to look into something else for me."

"And what would that be?"

"Figure out the name of someone who works with Senju that has pink hair."

His smirk fell, replaced with a glower. "Pink hair, you say."

What he had hoped would come easy had just become more difficult than he thought. The Uchihas were bad enough, but now...

He shook his head. This time, it would end in his favor.

* * *

 **Note:**

Oooooohhhhh, things are happeningggggg-

This is just an interlude, so it's not as long as a regular chapter, but it's longer than I had anticipated it to be. Needed some ss after the genjutsu cliffhanger last chapterkdhkvjsdkv

Anyway, hope you enjoyed this. Your kind words on the reviews and Tumblr have really helped me through this quarantine. I hope yall are doing well. Stay healthy, and stay safe!

Tell me what your theories are, I'd love to read them!

 **Eternal, Part Two: Thallo, Chapter Ten: Doubt** will be updated this Friday. I'm excited for y'all to read it, especially since I ended Genesis the way I did kukukuku


	13. (Thallo) Chapter Ten: Doubt I

**Note:**

" talk " - The characters are speaking in Japanese.

 _" talk " -_ The characters are speaking English.

' _talk_ ' - The characters are thinking.

More notes at the end of the chapter.

* * *

This chapter is unedited. (6/17/20)

* * *

 **Eternal**

 **Part Two: Thallo**

* * *

 **Chapter Ten:**

 **Doubt I**

* * *

 **A time lost...**

* * *

She had never thought she'd see such destruction in her lifetime. She knew becoming a ninja would come with the stench of death and the uncertainty of tomorrow but growing up in a time of peace, she didn't realize just how bad things could get.

Just a few miles in front of her, another explosion had erupted, decimating the area and eliciting screams of anguish in its wake.

The panicked stares of the children she was with gave her a new sense of urgency far more than what she already felt.

"This way! Hurry," she urged, guiding them to the evacuation center behind the Hokage mountain. "Don't look back."

Hurriedly, they ran into the entrance, their tear filled eyes and looks of fear forever etched into her memory like it was fully embedded into it.

Debris fell, more fires erupted, and the village she loved so dearly was unrecognizable.

Leaping from the staircase down to the ground, she searched for more survivors.

"Sarada!"

She turned to the sound of her father's voice. He appeared beside her, crouching down and touching her shoulder with the only arm he had.

"Papa!" She exclaimed in relief. "Where's mama?"

His frown deepened. "Your mother is evacuating the hospital."

"Lead the way."

He nodded, leaping up onto the piled up debris and running to the direction of the hospital. She followed suit, the smell of burning and blood growing thicker the deeper into the village they went.

They spot a head of pink amidst the chaos of villagers running in search of safety. Quickly, her father was at her mother's side.

"You okay?"

Her mother nodded, lips in a thin line, a sign of her worries. "Yes, but," she paused, taking a breath. "The right wing of the hospital was the first to get crushed. I don't think anyone would have survived that."

Sarada landed before her parents. She knew how much her mother hated it when she couldn't save a patient. She couldn't even imagine her pain right now losing countless of them.

"What do we do now?" She asked, brows furrowed.

Her parents shared the look. She had seen it a few times before. The first was when they were facing Shin when she was twelve as a result of her search for her father. It was a conversation through their eyes only they could understand.

"Sarada," her mother started as she took something from an inner pocket of her lab coat. "Take this."

It was a scroll.

Her mother left it on her open palm and used her hands to fold Sarada's fingers on top of it.

"Head somewhere safe, and don't look back."

Her eyes shot wide open. "What? I can't just leave you!"

"Sarada, listen to your mother," her father said. "We'll do what we can here, but you have to promise us you'll get out of here."

"I can help! You both trained me!"

"We know you can, sweetie," her mother placed a hand on her shoulder, a forced smile on her face. "Which is exactly why we're giving you the scroll. It's Konoha's only chance."

Her lips pursed. "You guys are talking like you can't win this," she said quietly. If her parents were unsure, then it must be worse than it already seemed.

Her parents said nothing.

"You guys are talking like you don't think you can make it." It came out like a hiss, but she didn't care. It was unlike her parents. "You _will_ win this, right?"

"Sarada, please," Her mother urged, eyes now focused. Wrapping her arms around her, she hugged her tightly. "Go. Now."

She was frozen. Even as she saw her parent's quickly running to the center of the village, she stood there, eyeing the scroll she had been given.

Balling her free hand into a fist, she shook her head.

No. She wasn't going to leave them behind.

* * *

 **Present**

* * *

He wondered why he even bothered to appear in Maiso, listening to the man's demands. He had been doing what he was told to do, all for the promise of answers, but two years into it, he was beginning to question the reality of his predicament. He wanted the nightmares to stop. He wanted to know the cause of his so-called 'gifts.' He wanted to know why he fell ill at such a young age and when he was close to his death bed, he woke the next day being able to do things no one would ever have thought possible.

In the dimly lit bathroom, his long hair wet and body bare, he stared at the mirror fogged up by the steam, the aftereffect of his shower. It was fitting, he thought, that what he saw before him wasn't even a reflection of his face. He could make out the blurry outline of his head, an image he had seen before but with bodies and eyes that were not his, but he thought he should know.

He didn't.

Lifting his hand up, he placed it on the mirror and slid it across, showing him his face and the odd eyes he was born with. It was for a brief moment, a brief moment of clarity, then it began to disappear, the leftover steam fogging up the mirror.

He continued staring.

The longer he lingered, the more he thought that perhaps that the image before him was his true reflection all along.

* * *

Shikamaru sat on the dining chair by the wall, listening to Kakashi rehash what had happened the previous night. He had woken up from his slumber after hearing footsteps and doors closing. Judging from the urgency, they were either really tired and wanted to go to bed, or they didn't want anyone else to hear. Even if it was the first option, why would they be out that late anyway?

Leaning back, he brought his hands behind his head. "A man in a mask, huh?"

Kakashi gave him a nod.

"And you know who he is?"

The older man didn't provide an answer, but it wasn't needed.

Sighing, Shikamaru closed his eyes. "It makes things more complicated now, doesn't it?"

Itachi, who was in the kitchen, came into the dining area with a bowl of rice and a plate of eggs in his hands. "As if it wasn't already."

"Don't we have enough eggs already? We're only seven people and a cat," he said as he eyed the numerous plates in front of him.

"I wanted to make them perfect," the Uchiha said simply, as if that was enough to explain.

Kakashi walked towards the table. Leaning forward, he placed a hand down on the wooden surface. "Back to the topic at hand," he slid onto a seat. "Shimura being in Maiso is going to make it harder for us to leave unnoticed."

Taking off his apron and throwing it onto a chair, he sat down, as well. "I called Tsunade earlier, and she says that he might be leaving later today because of a meeting."

"Have any idea how long he'll be gone?"

"No."

"Then, maybe we have to change our plans slightly."

* * *

The back of Naruto's clothes were soaked as he stared up at a never ending darkness above him. His body felt lighter than the last time he was in the place. It was easier for him to breathe, and his limbs did not feel like they carried the weight of all of his thoughts, materialized.

"How long are you going to lay down there, Naruto?" It was the same deep, gravelly voice. It should have intimidated him, but it didn't.

He slowly lifted himself up, the liquid dripping off of him as he stood. "Giant fox?" He couldn't remember the name.

Answering with a sigh, the large fox shook his head. "It's Kurama, boy."

"Kurama." A name he should already know. "I'm here again. Do we have more time now?"

"Yes. I've been watching from here. Looks like you had an eventful night, huh, boy?"

Naruto stretched his arms up. "You could say that again. Did past me have to deal with that often?"

Kurama only laughed, neither confirming nor denying Naruto. "Your chakra pathway is establishing itself much faster than your friends. I think it's only a matter of time until you get your memories back."

"So that means I don't have to try and guess everyone's riddles now?" He sighed in relief. "But why is mine faster? Or is it another thing you can't talk about?"

"The latter."

"Damn it."

"But just because I can't tell you about your past doesn't mean I can't warn you about things."

Curiosity bubbled within Naruto. "What else do we have to look out for? Other than a corrupt politician?"

"I told you. People on our side aren't the only ones who were resurrected. And having that in mind, everyone on our side wouldn't have the luxury of people telling them which path is right."

Naruto thought back to the masked man. He knew who he was, or rather, he knew that he knew him. His chakra felt familiar, he didn't have to see his face to know that. "You're saying the bad guys could be using old friends."

Kurama nodded. "Some might not have regained their memories, and their desire to know could be used against them. Good thing that Uchiha kid was with you from the get-go."

"Sasuke?"

He had known Sasuke since they were kids. The implications of Kurama's statement startled him. Sasuke was definitely a friend. Whatever he did in the past does not mean he'd go that direction again. Still, he wondered what that meant for them, what that meant for them now.

Things were complicated enough.

Frustrated, he made a mess of his hair. "How long are we supposed to be doing this guessing game?"

"You'll learn soon enough. Kakashi and the older Uchiha know. It won't be too long until you and the Nara kid do, too. But..."

"But what?"

"You'll have to keep an eye on those friends of yours."

"Sakura-chan, too?"

"Those two have a shared history as complicated as yours and Sasuke's. All three of you are pains in the ass."

"Hey!"

"All I'm saying is that those two are going to take time."

"I mean I kinda figured they would since you just told me I'm probably remembering first," he said, then tapped his chin. "But how can I remember something that hasn't happened to me physically. This me. Or is the other me also physically still me? I mean, it had to be right? Since we remember how we look? But what if-"

"Enough of your blabbering! And to think I missed talking to you after not talking for millenia."

"Hey!"

"And as for your questions, we both know I can't say anything."

"Then what's the point of talking right now then if you can't tell me anything."

"I may not be able to tell you your past, perhaps reteaching you some things wouldn't hurt."

Naruto grinned mischievously. "A loophole, huh? Why didn't I think of that?"

"We all know why," Kurama said under his breath.

* * *

Naruto woke up in a way he hadn't in a long time. He woke up calm, refreshed. As he sat up on the bed, he looked at his shadow on the floor.

' _Sakura-chan and Sasuke are gonna need time?_ ' He thought, his arms folded above his chest as he racked his brain for an explanation. Finding nothing, he got out of bed and headed to the bathroom across the hall to wash his face.

He smiled at his reflection, his talk with Kurama reenergized him now that he was aware of answers coming soon. He just had to be more patient. It was disappointing to him, though, that the moment he brought up 'reteaching' he woke up. He shrugged, thinking that he probably was right about Kakashi already on it.

Leaving the bathroom, he noticed his light and bouncy steps that reflected his mood. He was never an early riser, so it was a surprise to him that he felt both Sasuke's and Sakura's chakra. They were both still in their rooms.

As he walked downstairs, he could smell the aroma of freshly cooked eggs. He wasn't surprised to see an overabundance of them on the dining table.

"Itachi in charge of breakfast?" He said as he took a seat.

Shikamaru looked at him quizzically. "He does this often?"

Shrugging, Naruto leaned forward for a plate. "He just wants perfect eggs."

That was met with a judging look from the Nara boy. _'I'm supposed to be friends with these guys in my past life?_ ' At least that's what he assumed since they were all on the same side. That and from the moment he had seen Naruto and Kakashi at university, he had the same sensation of familiarity as the rest of the group did with each other. It was the same when he had met Temari, though not entirely.

Naruto looked around the room. "So where's Toma?" He had not sensed him nearby.

"Probably out looking for food or something."

"We could have fed him."

"We don't know what he eats."

Shikamaru made a point, Naruto thought, but it was odd he wasn't around and didn't tell anyone.

He turned to his side and saw Kakashi, plate empty in front of him. "Did you just finish?"

He made a noise of affirmation.

Interest sparked in Naruto's eyes. "Hey, Shikamaru, what does he look like without the mask?"

"I don't know." Shikamaru went back to his food.

"What do you mean you don't know? You were right here!"

"He ate pretty fast."

Suspicious, he focused on Kakashi again. "Did you use some sort of magic ninja thing?"

"No."

Itachi, who had been silently sipping from his steaming cup of coffee while reading the news on his phone, noticed the omission of two people. "Where are Sasuke and Sakura?"

"Here."

Sasuke walked in, his hair slightly a mess, but he ran his hair through it in an attempt to fix it.

"Never thought I'd see the day Naruto wakes up before you," Itachi said, setting his cup down.

"Yeah, well, things haven't been normal these past few days." Sasuke sat down on the empty seat beside his brother.

"It's our new normal."

"Anything interesting on the news?" Sasuke asked his brother, preparing his plate to eat.

"Nothing to note. Shimura still hasn't revealed anything to the public."

He nodded, chewing on his food.

"Is the Dr. Tsunade lady coming over soon?" Naruto asked, as he put his chopsticks down.

"Yes. She'll be here with her things," Kakashi answered. "We all have to discuss some things before going forward."

Itachi had turned off the alarm earlier, awaiting Tsunade's arrival.

As they all continued speaking and eating, upstairs, someone's mood was the complete opposite of the friendly atmosphere.

Still on the bed, eyes weary from the heavy tears that had just ceased falling, Sakura replayed the horrifying image in her mind all night. The pain wearing down her mind, body, and her heart. She clutched onto her chest, begging for the agony to end. But it was no use.

She tried telling herself that it was nothing. Just a dream. But she knew that because of the sheer torment she felt within her that it had to be a memory. Is that why she felt so connected to him? Was it some sort of tragic one sided love that ultimately ended in her end? It was almost Shakespearean, him stabbing her right through her chest.

She never really had visions of her looking older than seventeen. Was this the cause?

But it wasn't the pain of his hand through her chest that hurt her. It was the inexplicable love she felt for him at that moment that tore her to shreds. Why, even as he harmed her so violently, did she still love him?

 _Love_.

She shook her head.

She had had enough of this.

Getting out of bed and quickly walking to the bathroom, she washed out the dried tears on her face, but nothing could hide the exhaustion and swollenness of her eyes and the dark circles beneath them.

She gave herself a look through the mirror, telling herself to toughen up, no matter how useless she knew it was.

Quietly, she walked down the stairs, head down as she arrived in the kitchen where everyone had congregated.

"Good morning, Sakura-chan!" Naruto greeted happily.

Sakura greeted him back, flinching at how tired she sounded.

Sasuke had noticed her mood immediately, his eyes trained on her and how she walked. Something was wrong.

They met eyes, and, instead of their usual lingering stares, Sakura quickly averted her eyes and focused on the seat she was taking beside Kakashi.

"What's wrong?" He asked, uncomfortable with the change in her demeanor.

She didn't look at him, but her head went up. "What do you mean?"

"You know exactly what I mean, Sakura."

All eyes were on her as her gaze nervously shifted to everyone but Sasuke.

Kakashi and Itachi shared a look of concern. Something definitely had happened.

"I just couldn't sleep. That's all," she finally said as she placed food on her plate.

Studying her, Kakashi noticed her swollen eyes. She had been crying. Originally, he thought it was just her emotions that had piled up after a very eventful few days, but with the way she avoided the younger Uchiha's eyes were any indication, it involved him.

But Sasuke, himself, seemed concerned. He could see it in the change in his posture. He concluded that it had something to do with him, but not something he had said or done recently.

A memory perhaps?

Those two shared a complicated history, the entire team did, but what happened between them carried a lot of weight on both their shoulders, the mistakes they made and the opposite paths they took.

His thoughts stopped for a brief moment.

' _What if…_ '

If he was right in his suspicion, then things had gotten more complicated than he had wanted them to be.

Fate had a sick and twisted mind.

He shook his head. The sooner everyone regained their memories the better, but for right now, he definitely would have to help steer them in the right direction.

There was a period of silence in the room, no one choosing to say anything, for the atmosphere had grown heavy. Naruto chose this time to think about what Kurama had said. Was this what he meant by them needing more time?

They were fine the night before, but now there was a different kind of tension he felt on Sakura's part towards Sasuke. He figured that Sasuke, himself, didn't know what was happening. He'd have to ask him about it later.

They could hear the door open, but they all knew who it was. With them now being able to sense chakra now, they didn't have to guess.

Tsunade looked exhausted as she carried her large bag into the cottage. Sakura abruptly stood up and quickly went to her side.

"How was it?"

"Villanueva wouldn't stop pressing me about you, but I managed to get her to back off," she said, placing her bag on a nearby chair. "Shimura just left for Tokyo."

"I thought he was staying here?" Itachi asked as he stood up.

"Apparently not," she grumbled.

Shikamaru folded his arms as he leaned back on his chair. "It's most likely a press conference. Do you think he'll come back after?"

"I don't know, but some of his goons are still at the site."

"Any of them at the heliport?"

"I wouldn't put it past him."

"Then, we're going to have to figure out another way to leave."

This was a shock to everyone.

"We're leaving?" Naruto exclaimed.

Sakura felt her heart drop. "What about the patients at the site?"

"We'll be back, but we're not safe here anymore," Kakashi said. "With what happened last night, Shimura already knows we're here."

"So we just, what? Hide?" Naruto walked to Sakura's side.

Sighing, their former sensei shook his head. "It's clear that Shimura is up to something far greater than we thought it would be. You need to train and regain your memories so that your bodies will be ready for whatever's to come."

"Kakashi's right," Itachi said. "You don't know what this means yet, and hopefully, you do soon, but know that the three of you are too important."

A heavy silence filled the room. Though no one spoke, everyone unaware had a hunch of which three he was referring to.

Naruto.

Sasuke.

Sakura.

The boys shared a glance while Sakura stood with her hands shaking. She brought them to her chest and held them together tightly as her eyes flickered briefly to Sasuke's before they went back to staring at the floor beneath her.

Too important, he said.

Naruto was beginning to wonder just who exactly they were to be regarded as such. He had a hunch that, to be reincarnated, they would have to hold some type of role in their past lives, but to be specifically called "too important" made it seem like there was a lot more at stake.

Was it because of the fox inside him? What exactly was he doing in his head anyway? He was already tired of mental gymnastics this entire thing had brought them, especially when there were so many questions and no direct answers, just answers spoken in riddles he would never get until his memories did return.

It was a pain, and he wasn't the only one tired of it. Sasuke's face showed that. But Sasuke wasn't going to voice his thoughts out loud. A part of him already knew that the three of them meeting was a sign that nothing was ever going to be the same. The moment they all stepped foot in the damned place, he knew he'd return different.

He didn't know whether to be upset or glad. Upset that the normalcy he had grown used to had slipped away, replaced by the anonymity of change. However, he thought it may be a good thing. Years of confusion had led up to what was coming. Itachi's illness, their parents' untimely demise, the dreams, the eyes, the familiarity he felt towards these strangers.

A certain shade of pink.

There was a pang in his chest. She had been acting strange. He had noticed her avoiding him, as if the sight of him had caused her great discomfort. He had thought that, perhaps, the night prior may have changed them in a way, but not like this.

He chanced a glance at her. She was shaking slightly, the aftereffects of no sleep and a hectic few days. But he knew it was deeper than that. He knew something kept her up.

Was it a dream? A memory from her past life that had spooked her? It must be. And the way she hadn't spoken a word nor wanted to look at him, he knew it involved him.

He gritted his teeth. What could he have done? His mind went searching for the scenes that had played out in his slumber where she had been a part of. Coming up with nothing, he decided to wait and talk with her later.

Kakashi faked a cough that caught everyone's attention, steering it away from the rather shocking piece of information. "We'll be leaving in a few hours."

"But didn't Dr. Senju say that Shimura's men are still at the site? What if they're at the helipad?" Shikamaru inquired.

"Through the forest. We'll head to Poroshiri-sanso. It's an abandoned cottage in the middle of a large field that's big enough for a helicopter to land on it. Once we're out, we'll be heading to New Chitose airport and taking a plane."

"Where are we going to find a helicopter?" Naruto asked.

Groaning, Shikamaru stood. "I'll call Temari."

"Thank you," Kakashi said as he nodded.

"Temari?" Naruto parroted, confused.

"She's another one of us." Kakashi turned to Shikamaru. "She'll be handling the plane tickets and picking us up from the meet-up point."

"Oh," he said. "Then why does Shikamaru have to call her? Aren't you, like, the head of this whole thing?"

"Because that troublesome woman is my girlfriend." Shikamaru took his phone out and walked out of the room into the kitchen.

Naruto's mouth formed a small "o" as he slowly nodded at the new bit of information. Sasuke, though, had to wonder just how many of them there were.

"While Shikamaru is taking care of that," Itachi started. "We need to talk about what is to happen going forward."

Placing his tablet on the table, he slid his finger across the screen and pressed the maps app icon. The blue dot told them of their location. He zoomed out and the map expanded.

"We'll be meeting with Temari here." He pointed somewhere east of the blue dot. "Then, after an hour or so," he stopped and zoomed out some more. "We'll be in Sendai."

"Sendai? Why not Tokyo?" Sakura asked, her words coming out nervous.

"We want you to be away from Shimura," he said. "However, Tsunade and I will be going to Tokyo a little after we drop you off to retrieve some important materials. We'll be back around midnight."

"What are we supposed to do in Sendai anyway?" Sasuke walked over to the table and leaned in closer to see the tablet.

Even behind a mask, it was obvious that Kakashi was smiling. "I did say that you need to train."

* * *

Packing wasn't hard for anybody. Having only thought they would be in Maiso for only three days, the boys only had a backpack worth of things. Sakura, although she thought that she was going to be in Maiso for much longer, also had a light load.

As she gathered her things and stuffed them into her bag, she sighed.

"Now, that was a heavy sigh."

Her head shot up as she heard the familiar voice. "Dr. Senju!" She straightened her back.

"No need to be so formal, Sakura. After everything, I think we're past that," Tsunade said as she walked into the room she had occupied.

"I don't know if I'm comfortable enough to call you by your first name yet, Dr. Senju."

Tsunade shook her head. "Anything but Dr. Senju."

Sakura bit her lip. "What about… _Shishou_?"

She laughed. "That's even more formal, but," she paused, the word not as terrible as she thought it would sound. "Go ahead."

A small smile adorned Sakura's lips, the term familiar to her, entirely fitting.

"Now, you want to tell me why you have eye bags darker than Shimura's political history?"

The smile disappeared, replaced with a look of worry. "It's nothing."

Tsunade sat on the bed. "Something bothering you?"

"I don't know, it's just wrong that we're leaving the patients like this. It makes no sense to me."

"While that's true, that's not the only thing bothering you, is it?"

Her silence was answer enough.

"Was it a dream? One of those memories?"

She didn't speak. Instead, she continued to put her things in her bag.

This time, it was Tsunade who sighed. "Look, kid. I haven't regained my memories fully yet, either, but you know that what we're seeing in these visions aren't the whole picture, right?"

"I know that!" Sakura stopped packing and slammed her hands on the mattress, upset. "But what I do know is the pain past me felt was real, and I feel it too."

Her brows furrowed. "You have every right to feel upset," she said as she stood and walked behind the young woman, hands on her shoulders. "But whatever it was you saw, you won't know the truth until you finally do get the whole scope of things."

"I know."

"But don't let that deter you from what's in front of you. Don't let it consume you just yet." She let go of her shoulders. "I know you're smarter than that, kid."

Sakura knew this, too. But something inside her, a small voice was whispering to her, feeding into her fear. "It's just… Everything happened all at once. I was so used to my life before this. Wake up, go to school, work and study hard, go home, sleep. That's been my routine for so long. Graduate, get my masters, then become a doctor as good as you." She laughed, no amusement heard in it. "But now there's this whole new thing I don't know what to do with, but apparently I have to deal with it because it's basically fate. This is uncharted territory for me."

"And you don't think that it is for everyone?" Tsunade said simply. "We all have a different way of dealing with things. No one said you had to be here, Sakura. I know you're scared. But what are you scared of exactly?"

Him. How she feels about him. How she knows that it will bring her so much pain.

She didn't say anything, and Tsunade didn't either. Instead, the woman gave her a pat on the back.

"You're a tough girl, Haruno. Whatever it is you need to figure out, you will. I know for a fact that you will."

Sakura hoped she was right.

* * *

"I'm telling you, we have to go look for Toma first! We can't just leave him here!" Naruto exclaimed.

Sakura was the last one to walk out into the front porch where almost everyone had gathered, ready to exit.

"Toma? Where is he?" She asked, concern evident in her voice.

"We haven't seen him all morning. We thought he probably went out to find food for himself or something but we can't just leave without him!"

"Naruto's right," she said. "After everything that happened, we have to bring him with us."

Shikamaru walked out into the front porch with his phone in hand. "Temari just called. She's in location."

"I'll stay behind to look around," Kakashi said. "You all head to Poroshiri-sanso."

"But we can't just leave you here either." Naruto looked at him in slight disbelief.

"I can search faster than all of you. I'll be there within thirty minutes." And with that, he disappeared.

Caught off guard, they stared at where he stood just seconds ago.

"He jumped and ran through the trees," Itachi offered an explanation. "He was just too fast for you to see."

Naruto pointed forward. "Will we be able to…?"

Itachi nodded. "Once you're retrained. Even faster if your memories come back beforehand."

Nodding, he felt more determined to get them quicker. He was tired of the riddles, of beating around the bush. The way he saw it, the faster he remembered, the better.

But the feeling was not the same for everyone.

Sakura looked down. She hated feeling so conflicted.

Feeling a tap on her shoulder, she turned to see Tsunade behind her, her face reminding her of their talk moments ago.

Sasuke noticed this. He wanted to talk to her, but now was not the best time. The way she was acting, he wasn't used to it. It wasn't the Sakura he had gotten to know the past few days, and subconsciously, he knew it was because something had made her feel anxious.

He knew she was anxious before, but there was a new source.

He scoffed. Perhaps it was his ego, but he couldn't shake the feeling. He knew her.

He knew her well, and because he knew her so well, he knew that he was the cause. But what dream, what memory, did she see? What could he have done?

He thought of their conversation on the roof the other night.

 _"Your eyes looked so empty."_

 _"As opposed to now?"_

 _"Excuse me?"_

 _"They aren't empty now?"_

 _"No. They're not."_

What made his eyes appear empty then?

* * *

Kakashi jumped from tree to tree, eyes quickly scanning the ground for the black cat. He had to find him quick, but where could the cat have gone?

Naruto's worries were not unfounded. He, too, wondered where Toma had gone. It didn't seem like the cat to disappear without saying.

He found himself in the small patch of green they were the night before. With the urgency they had felt last night to get away, perhaps, he was left behind. That being said, Toma would have gone back to the cottage.

Something didn't sit right.

The men he had knocked out last night were no longer there, which he had been expecting. They would have been dragged out by then.

But something else was stained on the grass in the opposite direction.

Red.

And it was leaving a small trail towards a bush.

He walked towards it and as soon as he caught sight of a black tail, he looked away. He didn't have to see the body.

But to have taken away the bodies of the unconscious men and leave a dead animal behind only meant one thing.

It was a warning.

"Shit," he cursed. As he leapt up from the ground and was running towards the direction of Poroshiri-sanso.

They were being trailed.

* * *

 **Notes:**

So this is part 1 of Doubt! Decided that for Thallo, chapters will be shorter so that I can update more often. I've noticed that when I push myself too hard with word length that I end up updating after monthsss and I don't want to subject y'all to the long waits. Also because I'm taking summer classes and I just got promoted at work meaning I have way less free time now, so I thought shortening the length in favor of faster updates were more ideal.


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